Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine
by BrinnyLeah
Summary: A tale of Aphrodite, her fall from Olympus, and the fight for her life and freedom.
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

It all started with Chaos. And Chaos begot the four elementals, one of which was Gaia, our Mother Earth. Gaia bore three sons, and with one of them(Uranus), she gave life to the Titans. Oceanus took for a bride Tethys, and with her bore Iapetus. Coeus wed Phoebe, and they bore Leto. Cronus(Also known as Chronos) married Rhea, and together they bore Demeter, Hades, Hera, Hestia, Poseidon, and Zeus, the first Gods of Olympus. Iapetus bore Epimetheus, Prometheus, and Atlas. Epimetheus bore Dione, and Atlas bore Maia.

Now Zeus was known for his lustful and incestuous ways. He had children with two of his sisters, three of his cousins, and many mortal women, creating Gods and Heroic Demigods alike. He took his sister, Hera, as a wife, and they gave life to Ares, Hebe, and Hephaestus. With his other sister, Demeter, Zeus bore Persephone. With his cousin, Leto, Zeus had Apollo and Artemis, the twin Gods. With his cousin, Maia, Zeus bore Hermes. Out of himself, Zeus created Athena. But, most important to our story, Zeus also had a child with his cousin, Dione. This child was the most beautiful of all the Gods, and was thus named Aphrodite, the Goddess of Beauty.

There was an uprising, and the Gods fought and captured the Titans, and their ancestors. This was a war of the heavens unlike any other ever to be known. The Gods of Olympus then took their places as rulers and reigned over every aspect of the world.

Atlas, for some grievance, was imprisoned by Zeus, and sentenced to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders forevermore. And, taking pity on the crippled Smith God, Hephaestus, Zeus gave to him his most beautiful daughter, Aphrodite. She abhorred the thought of marrying her half brother/cousin, who was hideous and deformed, but married him out of obedience to her father.

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Hades became lonely. He envied the Gods, and their companionship. So, he tricked the daughter of his siblings, Zeus and Demeter. Persephone was drawn into the Underworld, and there she was forced to stay, and become her Uncle's slave bride, and made to take on some of the responsibilities of tending to the dead.

For thousands of years, the Gods ruled the world together on the high tops of Mount Olympus. Aphrodite was most unhappy. She would wander the mortal world quite often, and there, she fed her vanity and her sorrow by taking to her bed many Demigods and mortal men. All around her, she watched our world change and grow, as nothing did on Mount Olympus. Nothing there ever changed, ever grew old, or died. Her misery grew and grew, but her beauty never faded.

Hera, mother of Hephaestus, despised the other women that Zeus had taken to his bed, and the children he created that did not come from her womb. But none did she hate more than Aphrodite. She envied her beauty, and was revolted by her vanity and her infidelity to Hera's own child.

Thus begins our tale of love, hate, betrayal, and the cruelty of the Fates.


	2. Chapter 1

Aphrodite sat in her chambers in the Olympic Palace of the Gods. She contemplated her life in silence, while brushing her hair at her Vanity mirror. She had her own private bedchambers, as she had demanded she be allowed to keep them after her father, Zeus, had so unceremoniously given her to the grotesque Smith God, Hephaestus.

After their marriage, Aphrodite had retreated to her chambers and cried herself to sleep. Hephaestus would come to her whenever he had want to. He had brought her all sorts of fine jewellery, which he had crafted himself. She would then take him to her bed, and do what a dutiful wife does. She would give him her body. But she would never give him her heart.

Ares would visit her as well, seeking comfort in her bedchambers after battle, enamored with her glorious beauty. She had never given him her heart, either, and she never would.

But she had loved, and fiercely. She had fallen in love with her Adonis, a mortal youth who was desirable above all others. His face was luminescent in its beauty, and his chiseled body was such that even the Gods envied him. Aphrodite had found Adonis as an infant, and taken pity on the orphaned child. She brought him to the underworld, to her sister, the lovely Persephone, who took him in and raised him. As he aged, Persephone fell in love with him as well, and this caused a great feud between Aphrodite and her sister. In the end, Adonis had chosen Aphrodite, and their love grew and blossomed into a thing of wonder.

But Aphrodite would not know eternal bliss with her mortal lover. Ares, who had beheld her and Adonis in the throes of their passion, became feverish with jealousy. He nursed his anger, until one day, Adonis went into the woods to hunt. Ares then transformed himself into the image of a wild boar, and went down to the earth, where Adonis searched for prey. The youth caught sight of the magnificent boar, and threw his spear with all his might. But Ares was too fast, and he dodged the weapon, lunging towards Adonis, snarling.

Aphrodite had later found her love, mangled and barely breathing. Her Adonis was beyond saving. She held him in her arms and sobbed, as the life slipped from him, and his soul found its way into Hades. She left the empty body of her lover, and ran as fast as she could to her sister in the begged and pleaded Persephone, who had found the young man's soul and retrieved it. It was no use. Persephone had laughed at the sorrow of her sister, and rejoiced that Adonis was now under her control, and would stay with him from that day forth. Aphrodite had returned, then, to her palace chambers, where she sobbed uncontrollably for days.

Thousands of years had passed since then, and nothing had changed. She would let her husband and the God of War use her body at their will, and cry herself to sleep, hating herself. She let her misery devour her soul, until all that was left was a hollow shell, and all that remained was her everlasting beauty. She became very ill-tempered and vain. The only solace she took was by leaving her home in disguise to walk the earth, roam the forests, traverse the cities, and discover things in her world. She took mortal men of her own choosing into her bed at night, and sent them away thereafter. This made her feel somewhat better for short periods of time, but it never lasted.

Aphrodite laid her head down on her arms, and was engulfed in her grief. She cursed the Fates for her life, and let the tears flow down her alabaster cheeks. All she wanted was an end to her eternal misery. But her reverie was cut short by the sound of footsteps approaching. Her head snapped up, and she hastily wiped the tears from her face, hoping whomever it was would pass, and leave her be. But she was not so lucky.

Hera opened the door and stepped in without knocking. She quickly closed the door behind her, and then she stood there. Aphrodite waited for her to speak, but all she did was stand there, with her cold glare fixed upon the great beauty. She kept her silence, waiting, but Hera just kept glaring, her eyes dark as the nights that Nyx gave the world, piercing Aphrodite, chilling her to the core. Finally, she could keep her silence now longer.

"What in Hades do you want from me? Are you mute? Can you not speak?" She sneered at her aunt. But Hera's only response was to quirk up one side of her mouth in a cruel half-smile, narrowing her eyes. Chills went up and down Aphrodite's spine as her aunt drew a blade from within her robe...


	3. Chapter 2

Aphrodite eyed the blade in her aunt's hand, and started to panic. Could she scream? Would anyone hear her? No. Her quarters were at the top of the Palace of the Gods, hanging out over the sea where the tower bubbled out. She had chosen this room because she would be secluded here, where nobody could hear her explicit affairs, or her nightly weeping spells. Hera had come to this place, knowing all this, knowing she would not be caught, nor bothered.

The hairs on the back of Aphrodite's small neck started to prickle and stand up, and her palms started to perspire. She could feel her heart rate slowly climbing, and her breath becoming faster, more shallow and ragged. All she could do was try her best to talk Hera down, get an explanation, and hope Hera would be merciful. Her subconscious laughed at her. Hera was not a merciful goddess. She was cruel, and she reeked of envy. She had hated her since the beginning of her existence, a reminder of Zeus' numerous infidelities. But she had to try.

"Please, calm down, Hera," the fair goddess pleaded. "What is this about? What do you want of me?"

"Silence, you insolent little leech," Hera snarled. "For thousands of years, I have stood by and held my tongue, because my husband wished it so. But I cannot abide your vanity and snobbery any longer. My son aches for the wife that does not love him. He prays that you find it in you to see him as a man, and not a cripple, a laughing stock. I hear my precious boy weep over your affairs, but your disloyalty knows no bounds. You have toyed with him long enough. You never deserved him, and I am put to shame by my husband, for allowing this to go on for so long. His true born son wallows in misery while his bastards feast and whore. You are nothing but common trash. I should have put an end to you millennia ago."

Aphrodite's breath hitched in a small gasp as the tears flowed down her youthful face. "I am sorry, Hera. So sorry. Please, I beg of you, have mercy on me! I know I deserve to be punished. I have been an awful wife to Hephaestus. But please spare my life."

There was no way past Hera, nobody to call for, no way to escape, and her aunt was out for blood. Aphrodite was going to die at the hands of the woman with the immortal blade. The wife of her father, the mother of her husband. This woman's hate for her just kept on building. She quivered and quaked. Though Aphrodite was depressed and isolated, she found she feared death, even after she had lived for so long. She was terrified of the pain she would feel, and the everlasting hell she would endure for her crimes against her husband, and all the others she had taken her own pain out on. Persephone and her husband were sure to have some unbearable eternal torture in store for her.

As if Hera could hear her thoughts, she smiled that wicked smile again. Then, before Aphrodite could react, her aunt lunged at her, flicking the blade across her cheek, and then again on the other side. The pain seared through her face, and she whimpered and ducked to miss another blow. She had no idea how to fight, but she bent low and pushed Hera over by shoving her shoulder into her attacker's torso as hard as she could. But before she could take two steps towards the door, Hera sprung back onto her feet, like a cat, and flung Aphrodite back into her Vanity mirror. It shattered around her, and she cried out as she felt the small glass shards slicing into her back and her arms. And Hera was on top of her, raising her arms high above her head, preparing for the death blow. Aphrodite flung her arms up, grabbing Hera by the wrists, trying to hold them away from her. Hera started leaning all of her strength onto her arms, pushing to get the knife down into Aphrodite's midsection. At that point, Aphrodite felt some of the weight lift off of her legs. Not much, but just enough that she bolted her leg upwards and threw Hera off balance, pushing her aside. She crawled away and tried to get up onto her feet, but Hera was faster, and she body checked her through the silk curtains, tangling her in them, and making Aphrodite sprawl onto the stone balcony. All the air was forced out of the pale beauty's lungs, and she lay their gasping for oxygen. Hera picked up the immortal blade, and started to saunter over to her, taunting her with her cruel grin. Aphrodite rolled and pushed and pulled, untangling herself from her fallen curtains, and clawed her way from the fabric. She then hauled herself into a standing position, leaning on the rails of the balcony. Everything hurt, and her body was screaming for more air. She turned and faced Hera, and cried one last plea for mercy. And then Hera's arm rushed forward, and the blade pierced Aphrodite under the rib cage, slicing clean through her flesh, and she felt it as if time had slowed. She felt every nerve cry as the blade went deeper, and then the blood splashed out as the knife was withdrawn, and started flooding out of her body.

Hera then pushed, and Aphrodite fell from the balcony. She tried to scream as the felt the rush of the cold night air around her, but no sound would come. The sea was rising up fast to swallow her, and she hit it with a smack that felt as if the water were trying to rip her apart. And then her senses started to dull, and all she felt was cold, before her eyes suddenly went black, and her consciousness started to fade into nothing..


	4. Chapter 3

Aphrodite was shocked awake by the feeling of something tugging her arms. Her head was spinning, her lungs screaming for air. She clung to her consciousness with all her might, but she was slipping, the cloud of red swarming around her as she was dragged through the water.

In and out, her mind came and went, like the tide. She was acutely aware of the cold air biting her skin; the hard, heavy feeling of being laid across the sand. She gagged and coughed up the water that was flooding her lungs, and she hungrily gasped and gulped down air. And then her pain and exhaustion got the better of her, and her senses failed. She slipped back into the dark, hazy abyss of unconscious.

Slowly, a shaded figure formed and started walking toward her. As it got closer, it became clear that it was a man, in a white garment, with leather sandals, and a halo of shaggy blonde hair. His beauty was unmatched. **Adonis! My love,** Aphrodite tried to cry. The voice came, not from her throat, but from all around, like a rumbling echo in a great cavern. The man she had loved so had come back to her at last. He knelt beside her, put his arms underneath her shoulder blades and lower back, and lifted her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. A great sorrow filled his eyes, and when his soft sweet voice gave reply, it sounded like a sad song.

"You cannot stay here, my dearest heart. It is not your time. I needed to see you, to hold you one last time, as you held me, but our time together must come to an end. We are not destined for each other, much to my distress. But you are meant to rise to greatness, after enduring much suffering. Hold to that, through everything you must endure, and you will finally find peace and joy."

 **Adonis, no. Please don't leave me again. I cannot live like that. You are my world, and I can't lose you again.** Aphrodite heard her voice plead with her lover, hoping beyond hope that she could just stay here like this- in his arms- forever.

Adonis' gentle smile was filled with melancholy. He replied, "You can, my love, and you must. Your life is meant to be a long and prosperous one, filled with love and laughter. But before that, you will suffer a great deal. Know that I love you with all my soul, and I will be with you through all of your trials, in spirit. But I must go now. Farewell, my beautiful soul." And with that he planted a soft kiss on her lips, filled with both passion and sorrow, and set her down.

Aphrodite watched her lover walk away, and felt as though her heart was being ripped out of her chest. She cried after him, begging him not to leave her. As he faded, she felt herself being torn from her haze, and farther than ever from the man she loved.

Then, she awoke to the sound of waves crashing onto a shore, the smell of briny salt water, and the feel of soft seaweed beneath her, making a bed. She was covered in fishing nets, layered over one another to create a blanket, and her gut was aching where she had been stabbed. How did she get here, and why wasn't she dead? Her vision of Adonis seeped back in to her mind, distracting her. She heard his words again, felt his soft lips upon hers... And she wept. She cried until she couldn't anymore, her wounds—both physical and mental—aching so much that she felt she could no longer bare it.

Exhausted, she wiped her face and curled herself into a ball, shoving her face into her makeshift blanket. Then she remembered that she still had no idea who brought her here, or how. Did Hera know she was still alive? Would she find her, and subdue her while she was weakened? The thought frightened her, and she started to tremble. She jumped and twitched at every sound; the waves crashing against the sand, the cry of the gulls as they searched for scraps of food, the echo of her heavy breaths bouncing off of the walls of the small cave where she lay.

It felt like hours that she fretted, aching and watching the opening to the stone structure. She couldn't hold back the squeak that came from her throat when a shadowed female figure entered the cave from the blinding light of day outside.


	5. Chapter 4

"Oh!" The shadow gave a surprised exclamation. She stepped farther in to the darkness of the cave, and Aphrodite's eyes adjusted, making her clearer. She was a younger woman, with a soft, round face. She had large, oval-shaped eyes that could even be seen in the dank to be a bright blue. And she was nearly nude!  
"I didn't mean to frighten you," the girl said in a musically beautiful voice that rang out innocence. She stepped around the heap of weeds and net that surrounded Aphrodite and used a device that was strange to the goddess to light the candles that were placed on a rock nearby. The cave was bathed in warm candlelight, and Aphrodite could finally see the girl clearly. She was wet, and seaweed clung to her, covering her genitals and breasts, and sticking to her hair. Aphrodite was astonished by the color of the young woman's hair, as she had never seen anything so vivid and wild. It hung down her back and over her arms and chest, falling in loose waves all the way down to her waist, bits of seashells, seaweed, and coral carved and tied together in a type of circlet. Her skin glistened and shimmered, and when she turned her head to find a seat, Aphrodite noticed small gills on her neck, just behind her ears. When she turned her gaze on the goddess, it became apparent that her eyes were not only bright blue, but they had a strange pattern in them in a fascinating green, almost like a nautical star. She was an astonishing creature.  
The young woman gave Aphrodite a congenial smile and said, "Hello. My name is Shea. I know who you are. Don't worry, you are well hidden here, nobody knows of this location. You fell a long way into the water. Had you not been an Olympian, you would not have survived the force of hitting the surface. I pulled you out, and tended to your wounds. You were almost gravely injured, we are lucky that I got to you in time. How are you feeling?" She stretched out a hand to feel Aphrodite's forehead, and the webbing between her fingers caught the attention of the Goddess.  
"I am fine, but this is quite painful. You are a daughter of Poseidon, aren't you- a mermaid?"  
"I am called many things, yes. A siren, a mermaid, a freak.. I am neither human nor fish. You seem to have no signs of infection, so that is good. You will heal nicely, given time."  
"Thank you, Shea. But, how is it that you have legs?" Aphrodite had never seen Poseidon's daughters out of water.  
Shea seemed a bit taken aback, but recovered quickly, and a bubbly giggle came from her throat. It sounded like tinkling bells. "Oh. Well, a few of us are given a gift from our father, as a sign of his favor. He has given me the ability to walk on land whenever I please. All I need to do is swim to shore and pull myself out of the water and- poof! - legs!"  
Aphrodite could not help but smile. She liked this girl. "You are such a happy girl. I envy that innocence. Thank you again, Shea, for caring for me. I need to ask you to keep it a secret that I am alive. If Hera should discover that she failed, she will come back before I can regain my strength."  
Shea's large eyes became even larger, her shock unmasked. "The Queen of Olympus? But why would she do something like that? Surely she is not that cruel. My father tells me she is a benevolent goddess."  
"Your father is one of those who would side with her. That is why you must not tell anyone. Hera despises me for the wrongs she imagines I have done her. She does not like that I am Zeus' bastard daughter, or that he has given me to her son, Hephaestus. I admit, I have been a terrible wife to him, and my affairs are not exactly hidden. But I do not love him, I never have. What I want more than anything is to be happy, to love whom I choose, to travel the world as much as I want, to explore, and to feel safe in my own bedchambers when I do return to my home on Olympus. I don't hate it there, it is still where I belong.. But Hera and her son, as well as Ares, have taken that from me. I have become somebody even I don't like, and I fear for the safety of my body and soul whenever I return there. I just wish I could go home in peace, and live my life how I choose." Aphrodite thought of everything she had loved and lost, and a tear rolled down her cheek, her voice cracking as she spoke.  
Shea's eyes softened, and she took pity on Aphrodite, gently brushing the long, blonde locks of hair away from her face, and wiping her tear away. "I too wish to belong, and to explore the world. People are frightened by my appearance, and Poseidon will only give one gift. But I will help you, my friend. To the best of my abilities, I will help you find the life you long for."  
This gave Aphrodite an idea. "Oh, Shea! I am so grateful to you. Please accept a gift from me. I will bestow you with my ability to change your appearance, and together, we will discover the world, and help each other to find our destinies."  
As she touched Shea, Aphrodite watched her skin turn to the most exquisite alabaster, her lips the shade of a pink rose. The webbing between her fingers disappeared, and the pattern in her eyes faded. Looking herself over, Shea lit up, joyful tears welling up and spilling down her cheeks. "Oh, thank you so much, Aphrodite! I've found my lifelong friend in you!"  
The two women shared a hug, and started pondering together where they would go once Aphrodite was standing again.


	6. Chapter 5

Shea looked Aphrodite up and down, contemplating. "Hmm... I think you should definitely change your hair color. And your face as well. There are too many demigods roaming around the world that would recognize you, and Hera could pay handsomely for your capture or assassination."

That was easy enough. Aphrodite was a master of the illusion of disguise, and now her friend was too. With nothing but a thought, and the blink of her eyes, Aphrodite transformed herself. Her hair became a silky soft cascade of auburn that reached past her breast, her eyes an emerald green. She made her lips fuller, her face more round than oval, and her nose wider and more rounded rather than pointed. Her eyebrows were made darker and fuller, her lashes black as charcoal and as long as a girl's lashes could naturally be. She also made her breasts a little fuller, as well as her hips and thighs. By the time she was done, she looked completely different than she had ever seen herself.

Shea held up a mirror, and Aphrodite was astonished by the strange beauty she beheld. Even she was impressed with herself. She brushed a finger along her new face and smirked. Shea smiled in approval and nodded when she asked, "How do I look?"

"You look incredible. I would even say younger. And cute as a button. I think you will fit right in in the world. So much has changed; I can't wait to show you!"

This surprised Aphrodite, just a little bit. "How long has it been since I've come down from Mount Olympus? When I was last here it was the year 1864."

"It's 2014 now! A lot has changed in the last 150 years. America and Canada thrive, they have expanded. There's technology now, everybody has electric lights, televisions, there are things called cell phones that make it so you can talk to anyone from anywhere on the planet. And there are motorized vehicles everywhere; cars, trains, buses, motorcycles, planes that fly through the air. No more chariots or carriages. The music and clothes are so different, and the way people speak is different now too! People still believe we are things of myth, so as long as you adapt fast, and don't let anyone know what you are, we should be free to go anywhere we want."

All of this information at once made Aphrodite's head swim. Had the world she loved really changed so much? How could it have been 150 years since her last escape from Olympus? **Well, I guess it shouldn't come as such a surprise. The world is much different every time I come to see it. The human race changes so much with every generation.** She dwelled on this for a moment, and then she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and looked back to her friend. "The first thing we need is new human clothes. My garment is torn and ruined with blood, and you are can't very well walk around nude."

Shea's blue eyes sparkled and she said, "I have a small pile of dirty human clothes that girls forget on the beach all the time. It will be enough to get us into town to buy new clothes. And I have new human currency, too. Lots of it. I've made sure to keep a fortune in money up to date with every new transition. I haven't gotten the chance to use it, until now. The only time I get to go anywhere is when people dress up in costume for holidays or conventions. Nobody has known that it was my true form. But now we can travel anywhere and do anything. Thank you so much for this, my friend. I can never thank you enough."

"It is I that cannot thank you enough, Shea. You saved my life. I will travel the world with you, and be your companion. In turn, you must help me train, and strengthen myself. I can't hide for the rest of my life. I will confront Hera, and I will get my life back."

Shea nodded her head in agreement, and then her lips pouted and her brow creased. "I agree. But until then, what do I call you? If I say your real name in public, we have no way of telling who will be listening. I'm sure the Queen of Olympus has spies everywhere. We have to be extremely careful..."

Aphrodite had not thought of this. She had no idea what to call herself. "I think you should make my new name, seeing as you gave me a new chance at life. It seems only fitting."

At that, Shea beamed. "I think I'll call you... Aleazia. Ally, for short."

"I like it," Aphrodite smiled. "It's kind of pretty. Now, let's go get some of those clothes and that money."

She followed Shea to the back corner of the cave, where there was a small pile of dirty clothing. "Here," the siren handed her some small pieces of garment, strange to Aphrodite. "These are a kind of pants. They are called jean shorts, and this is a halter top." Aphrodite was shocked again. She had no idea that it was now common for women to wear pants, much less anything that would show this much skin. But, the world had changed, and so Aphrodite would change with it. She would become Aleazia; she would wear new clothes, listen to new music, and follow new customs. And, she would finally strengthen herself and fight back. She would fight with all her heart and soul to win her freedom, the right to be her own self, follow her own destiny, and fall in love with someone who deserved her, and who made her truly happy.

Shea picked out some clothing for herself, and they went to the water together, where they washed the sand and mud out. They bathed themselves in sunlight while the clothes were set out on a rock to dry. It was beautiful here, the warm rays making Aphrodite's skin glow.

When the clothes had dried out, Aphrodite and Shea got themselves dressed, and prepared for the journey ahead. Aphrodite made a vow to herself then. No matter what happened here, no matter how hard it got, no matter how much pain she had to endure, she wouldn't give up. She would push through it, and finally confront those that sought to make her miserable, or to hurt her, or use her for their own personal entertainment. She would finally become her own person.


	7. Chapter 6

With a new resolve, Aphrodite turned to Shea and inquired, "So what are we going to do now?"

"Well," Shea responded, "First, we need to go and get new clothes, then a place to sleep. And I'm sure you're getting hungry, so we'll need to get food as well. But we will also need papers forged if we want to travel, so we'll need to go to the bad part of town... we're going to have to be very careful."

"Only Gods and Demigods can harm me, but I suppose you are right. We don't need to be found out before I have a chance to heal and strengthen myself. I will try to avoid any trouble."

"Good. Now let's go shopping! We need some new shoes and a whole new wardrobe of clothes!" Shea was positively glowing with excitement.

Aphrodite looked down at her sandals, which had been ruined when she fell from Mount Olympus, and then looked at Shea's feet. She had found herself a small pair of black flats, bleached by the sun and worn at the sole. Her toes were crammed together into the tops of the flats, her feet too large to fit. She would not be able to walk far in those.

"Shoes first, then.." The girls linked arms and walked up the beach, through the sand, and onto the paved road running adjacent to it. The shops, the roads, the houses, had all changed so much. Aphrodite felt like an alien, but she was bubbling with excitement at the chance to explore new things. The warm wind blew her newly auburn hair around her face and arms, and she giggled as she brushed it back, taking in the smell of the sea.

They walked along a string of shops, until they found a store filled with shoes, the likes of which Aphrodite had never seen. She had worn heels before, but none as large as some of the ones found here, and none that had been any color other than a polished black or tanned leather brown. She tried on a pair that caught her eye; 4 inch heels with a peekaboo toe, black with a red rose just underneath the toe line, and dark green vines and thorns twisting and spiraling along the sides, reaching all the way to the back and twining together. She slid her left foot into one, and found that it fit perfectly, hugging to the contours precisely. She slid the other on and stood, testing them out, and found that she could both confidently and comfortably glide across the floor in these gorgeous shoes.

Shea had also found herself a pair that she adored. They were a small 2 inch heel, red with a golden bow just under the peekaboo toe. They fit much better than the ruined flats, and she practically sang with excitement as she hopped up and walked around in them.

Each girl found a few more pairs of shoes for themselves and brought them to the till. The cashier eyed them and hurried their purchases through, seeing that they were both very grungy looking, and also both very excited for their new shoes. Aphrodite was positively baffled by the price. These shoes cost a fortune! But Shea seemed content with the price, and paid the lady what was owed. They walked out of the store, ditched their old shoes, and put on their new perfect fits.

Next, they found themselves in a nice clothing boutique, and spent a small fortune in new clothes. Aphrodite had never been more excited, the clothes were tighter, smaller, and more extravagant than she had ever worn, and she couldn't wait to wear her brand new pairs of jeans. On Olympus, and the last time she had visited the world, women did not wear pants in any form. And the undergarments were positively scandalous, but they made her feel daring and sensuous. After paying yet another confused looking cashier, they both chose an outfit, and went into the changing room before they left the store. Aphrodite came out in a black top, fitted tight around the chest, and then flaring out at the waist, flowing down to the bottom of her hips. It had a red rose in the middle of the breast area, and perfectly matched her shoes. For pants, she picked out a pair of tight jean capris, which ended in a rolled cuff below the knees.

Shea had found herself a sleek little red dress with a sweetheart plunge top and a golden waist belt. By now, she was positively bouncing. She was finally fulfilling her dream to blend into the human world and explore, and she was having the time of her life, shopping like a real human girl.

From there, they dragged their bags to the nearest hotel, where they rented a large, gorgeous room with two queen sized beds. They plopped down their haul of the day, flopped themselves onto a bed, and ordered food up to the room.

As they ate, Shea explained the plan for the next day. They would get papers made up for themselves, but they would have to be extremely cautious, and get there and back very quickly to try to avoid any kind of trouble.

After so much excitement, the girls went to bed with full stomachs, and fell asleep rather quickly, exhausted. Tomorrow, the real journey would begin for them.


	8. Chapter 7

Aphrodite awoke, feeling rested and energized. She looked over to the other bed, only to find it empty. She sat up and peered around the room, but she was alone. She strained her ears, listening for any hint of life in the room. Hearing nothing, she quietly slipped herself out of bed, and tip toed around the room, to the bathroom door. She knocked three times, and heard a trickle and a splash. "Come in," she heard Shea's voice sing. Walking into the bathroom, she was shocked by what she saw.

Shea had decided to take a bath, and touching the water had transformed her back into her mermaid form. A large tail flopped around in the tub, glittering with scales the color of her bright blue-green eyes. Her hair was twisted into a messy bun at her crown, and her breast was bare. Her skin shimmered even more when wet than it had when she had met the girl. The mere sight of it was a spectacle for the goddess to behold. She had a smile on her angelic, round face, and she hummed to herself while she soaked in the fresh, warm water.

"Good morning, Shea. You seem to be in a good mood." Aphrodite was not accustomed to Shea's upbeat behavior yet, but was not surprised at her comfort in being nude around others. It was, after all, how they met in the first place. She giggled inwardly at her young friend.

"Good morning, **Aleazia**! I am in a great mood! It's not often that I get to soak in warm, fresh water, rather than cold sea water. How was your sleep?"

"I still haven't gotten used to that new name," Aphrodite responded, "But it will get easier, I suppose. I slept quite well, and I'm actually feeling much better today. I can't thank you enough for saving me, and helping to get me well again. I'm glad I can count on you as a friend, Shea. Thank you so very much for everything."

She smiled. "Don't mention it. You've helped me, as well. The gratitude is mutual. That's why I think we're going to be the best of friends!"

Aphrodite couldn't help but return the smile. "I think so, too. And what a wonderful friend I've gained. I'll go back into the room and wait for you to finish." Aphrodite turned and flitted out of the bathroom, jumping back under her bed covers, and waited for her turn to bathe. She heard the tub drain, and then a few minutes passed as her friend dried herself off and turned back into a human. She then heard a whirring sound, and bolted to the bathroom, afraid.

When she got in there, she saw her friend standing there, pointing something at her head. It was the cause of the odd whirring sound, and it was making what appeared to be wind blow into Shea's hair. "Relax," Shea told her, as she turned off the strange device. "It's a blow dryer. You use it to dry your hair after it's been wet. Take a shower, and I will help with yours when you finish." She winked at Aphrodite, walked over to the tub, showed Aphrodite how to turn on the taps and shower head, and then strode out of the room to let her clean herself up.

Aphrodite peeled off her clothes and stepped into the white porcelain bathtub. She sighed as the hot water ran over her scalp, down her face, onto her back, and all the way down her slender body. It felt amazing, and it soothed her aches and pains left over from her injuries. She used the cleaning products for her hair, face, and body, and washed away all of the salt, grime, and blood that had dried on to her skin. When she was clean, and had sated her feeling of longing for the feel of the hot water cascading over her skin, she climbed out, and turned the shower off the way she'd been shown. She towel dried her damp body, and got herself dressed in her new matching underwear, a plain black t-shirt, and a simple but flattering pair of jeans. Shea came back in, then, and helped her dry her hair with the blow dryer. She then helped her to apply human makeup, and did the same to herself in turn.

After getting ready, the two girls, daughters of the first Gods of Olympus, made their way outside into the bright sunlit day. Shea hailed a cab, and gave the driver an address, two blocks away from their real destination. The rest of the way, they walked, arm in arm, looking this way and that, wary of the danger they may have been walking into.

It was almost a relief to get inside the small, boarded up building. A man stood in their path as they entered, and Shea spoke to him in a hushed voice. He proceeded to point down one of the dimly lit hallways. They walked hurriedly in the direction they were given, and found themselves in front of a door that had obviously been drilled into to make the holes for more locks- 6, to be precise. Shea reached out her hand, and knocked tentatively. A small hole in the door was opened, and a man peered out at them. "What do you want?" He inquired, and Shea held up a handful of money, responding that they needed travel documents. The man squinted for a couple seconds, looking them both over, and closed his peeking hole. The girls glanced at each other, worried that he might not let them in, but a few seconds later, they heard the locks beginning to click, and both sighed inwardly with relief.

They walked into what appeared to be a large, abandoned bachelor suite, filled with chairs and machines, some money hanging about in small piles. The old, grizzly man instructed them to state the names they wanted on the documents, and to sit in front of a camera, one at a time. The camera was pointed at a white wall, with an old rickety stool on which to sit.

Shea went first. "Shea Darkwater," she stated for the man, and then spelled each word for him. "S-H-E-A... D-A-R-K-W-A-T-E-R." The man wrote it out on a slip of paper, and then snapped a picture. The sudden flash of light made Aphrodite jump a little, her nerves unsettled. This place gave her a feeling of unease. Shea then hopped off the stool, and directed her friend to take her place in front of the camera.

"Aph- Aleazia.. Proctor," She came up with a last name on the spot, giving him one that had been common on her last visit to the mortal world. "A-L-E-A-Z-I-A... P-R-O-C-T-O-R," she mimicked her friend. The man scribbled it onto the same sheet of paper he had written Shea's name onto.

The man went over to a computer, the one that the camera had been hooked up to. He retrieved the pictures, input the names on the computer, and asked them each for a birth date. The girls both gave him a fake birthday, and he then proceeded to input data about their height, weight, and hair and eye color.

Once all of their information was given, the old man started up his specialized machines, and forged a birth certificate, driver's license, and passport for both Shea and Aphrodite. He handed them their forged documents, and Shea paid him with a large bundle of cash. She grabbed Aphrodite by the hand, and pulled her in the direction of the door. They hurriedly walked back out of the building the way they had come, glad that their experience with this criminal was over, and they would soon be away from this eerie place, safe.

Their relief was short-lived, however. Before they reached the front of the building, a large man turned the corner, with a nasty sneer plastered on his face. He pulled out a pocket knife and flicked it open, as Aphrodite pushed her demigod friend behind her.


	9. Chapter 8

Aphrodite backed away from the man a few steps, Shea doing the same just behind her. **Please, not now,** Aphrodite thought desperately. **That thing can't hurt me, and if I fight back I'll be discovered; Hera will come and find me.**

The big, burly man started advancing. He was tall and heavy set, with big black eyes that clearly showed his enjoyment in preying on these girls. His clothes were dirty, and he reeked of liquor. "Hand over all your money and jewellery and nobody will get hurt, girly."

Aphrodite felt her face get hot. **Girly? Who does this little drunk think he is?** "We have nothing of value left on us. We just spent all of our money and these papers will do you no good."

He eyed them up and down. "Judging by your clothes, I don't believe you. You look like the kind of girls who have lots of money, and judging from where we are right now, you're also the kind of girls who keep that money in cash." He turned his attention to Shea. "Let's see that big purse of yours now, little darlin'. Slow like, so I don't gotta hurt you."

Shea shrunk herself farther behind her friend, keeping her eyes to the ground. Aphrodite could see that there was no way to avoid a confrontation with this ruffian, but she had to try. "Please, sir. We are just trying to get back to our hotel. We didn't bring any more than we needed, we left most of it in our room. We don't want any trouble here."

"You picked the wrong part of town to go wandering around if you didn't want trouble, girly." With an air of finality in his voice, he ended the discussion, and started to advance on the girls once again. He gripped his blade tighter, and lunged for Shea, aiming the knife at the strap of her purse. Aphrodite whirled her out of the way and slammed all of her body weight into hid side. He stumbled for a moment, losing his balance. Aphrodite grabbed her cowering little friend by the arm and tried to make her way to the street. But the man had regained his composure and moved himself in front of them, blocking their way to safety. "Now, now, girly. Don't try to act all tough. Last chance to give me that purse."

Shea squeaked in fear, and Aphrodite glared daggers at the man. He was about to make a lunge at them again, when something smacked him in the head from behind. "What the-"

"Hey, A**hole! Why don't you pick on someone who can defend themselves?" The girls both tilted their heads to look around the man as he whirled himself around, snapping his head in the direction of the new voice. There, pointing a hand gun at the aggressor, was a young man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had sharp, bold features, high cheekbones, and an exquisite jaw line. His eyes- hazel, like a lush forest full of trees- squinted to a glare, his short, spiky brown hair only adding to his intensity. He cocked the gun, slowly lowering it until it pointed directly at the burly man's groin.

"My mistake," he said in a hurried manner. "You ladies have yourselves a nice day, now." And with that, he ran off, their savior pointing his gun at the man until he disappeared down the street.

Aphrodite and Shea both sighed in relief. "Thank you," said Aphrodite, walking slowly to the young man, while he put the safety back on his gun, and tucked it back into the back of his jeans, underneath his black leather jacket, making it all but vanish.

"No problem. The name's Dom." He held his hand out to Aphrodite, and as she took it, he continued, "You girls really shouldn't be walking through this neighborhood alone. It's dangerous down here."

"Umm... We're new here, and we don't know our way around. We seem to have gotten ourselves lost," Shea interjected quickly. "I'm sorry. Allow me to make introductions. My name is Shea, and this is my friend, Aleazia. Could you possibly do us a favor and show us the way back to our hotel, please?"

Dom smirked and shrugged. "Sure, if it's alright with Aleazia," he responded with nonchalance, eyeing Aphrodite.

Feeling herself blush, Aphrodite tried to mimic his manner, shrugging and nodding. She had completely lost her ability to speak, bewildered by this tall, toned, and handsome man.

He smirked again, and then tilted his head in the direction they had come to this place. "The hotel is that way. Come on, I'll keep you safe," He winked at the girls, making them giggle. He proceeded to start sauntering down the sidewalk, Aphrodite and Shea following behind him, as if they were being pulled by a magnetic field. Aphrodite silently thanked the Fates; she was safe... for now.


	10. Chapter 9

A warm dusk was falling as Aphrodite and her companion followed their mysterious savior back towards their hotel, a slight breeze kissing their skin, caressing them in their now dirty clothes. The damp sweat on Aphrodite's skin helped to cool her as the wind softly blew strands of her auburn hair around her dainty shoulders and her face. Dom, as he had called himself, walked in front of them at a lazily casual pace. The street lamps slowly flickered on and starting a low buzzing. Aphrodite was acutely aware of all of her surroundings, the adrenaline from her recent confrontation making her temporarily more in tune with all of her senses.

In a sudden movement that made Aphrodite and Shea jump slightly, Dom wheeled himself around and started walking backwards. He smirked and said, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," in his husky yet silky voice. The green in his hazel eyes shimmered with a quiet excitement. "So what are you girls doing here, exactly? If you don't mind me asking," He added quickly onto the end of his question.

Aphrodite and Shea exchanged a look that said that clearly neither of them trusted him enough to tell him the truth yet. "Traveling," Shea said, and Dom gave her a short half-smile that told her that much was obvious, and then continued to gaze at her with his head inclined, waiting for her to elaborate. "Well.. We want to.. experience more of the world, check out all the new and old different things. And Aleazia is interested in learning self defense and combat techniques. So we're winging it." At least it was a half-truth, if not the whole truth.

Dom chuckled. "Well I would agree that you are sorely in need of it. Especially if you lovely ladies are planning on traveling the world without a dashing, strong young man to ward off any creeps."

Aphrodite was baffled but entertained by his demeanor. He reminded her somewhat of one of the lesser gods, Narcissus. Though, he wasn't quite as self-absorbed and irritating. The comparison made her giggle a little. "'If'? What do you mean if? And what if you are one of those creeps?"

At that, Dom gave an outright hoot of laughter. "I never said I wasn't. I have a friend- more like a brother, really- named Tristan. It just so happens that we were planning on taking a trip, and we hadn't decided where to go yet. But we have money, and a car. Maybe we could tag along on your little adventure, you know.. be your muscle. Keep the jerks like that a**hat back there at bay. I know I'm a stranger and all. You don't have to say yes." He had gotten to the point just before they reached the face of their hotel.

"I really don't know about that. I mean, I'm glad you were here tonight to save our skins, but we just don't know you." **Yet** , Aphrodite thought to herself. As much as she knew that she should be saying no to this handsome young man, she couldn't help having a sense that she was being drawn to him.

Their eyes met, and then locked. He seemed to sense the same thing as she did. "I know. But I just don't like the thought of the two of you getting hurt, for some reason." Then he appeared to snap out of it. "It's alright. You're safe at your hotel now, so I'll bid you a good night."

As he started to back away, Aphrodite quickly said, "Wait," as if the words had jumped from her mouth unbidden. As he stopped mid-turn to look back at her, she scrambled for what to say next. "Umm.. how's this? Come join us for breakfast tomorrow morning, with your friend. Spend the day with us. A few days. Once Shea and I start to get to know you better, we'll decide whether or not we would like you to come with us. If not, we can go our separate ways." Shea seemed happy with that compromise, and gave a nod of approval.

Relief seemed to wash over Dom's face, and he smiled and mirrored Shea's nod. "That sounds perfect. I'll go and tell Tristan, and we'll meet you at the hotel's restaurant tomorrow at 7 am."

"See you then," Aphrodite said, her heart giving an excited thump in her chest.

Dom smiled and tipped his head towards her and Shea, and then turned and happily bounded off down the street.

Chattering excitedly about their morning plans, the girls walked up to their room. Shea was excited that they would have a chance to wear their pretty new sundresses, and wondered aloud of Tristan would be cute. "Speaking of cute," She nudged Aphrodite in the side, "Dom was something to look at."

"What?" Aphrodite snapped her head towards Shea, and did her best to look innocent.

"Oh, come on. I saw that little exchange there. The two of you practically had stars in your eyes. I think maybe it's time you got back into the romance scene."

Aphrodite flashed back to her dream of Adonis, who had told her this journey would bring her joy and love again, but also immense pain and hardship. She shuddered, but knew Shea was right. **I need to get to know him,** her whole body seemed to scream to her. She slid the keycard in their door, and it unlocked with a click as she turned the handle.

As they stepped into the room, their conversation came to a sudden halt, and their purses dropped to the floor, their new papers spilling out while the door quietly clanked shut.


	11. Chapter 10

**I've been found!** was all Aphrodite could think. The adrenaline surged through her veins once again, and she prepared herself to fight- or flee, she hadn't decided yet. "Get behind me," she ordered Shea, who quickly obeyed. Her body tensed as she resolved herself against fleeing, and she was about to spring on the figure standing in her room when suddenly she spoke.

"Be calm, sister," Zeus's daughter, Athena, stood in the center of the room, hands raised as if to yield herself. "I have been watching you. I've not told Hera, and she makes no gesture to say that she knows you live. I am here to help you. I've come in secret, nobody knows where I am. Our father does not know what transpired, nor do many of the other gods. I alone was able to track you down and discover what happened. Please, calm down and listen."

Aphrodite did so, dropping her arms, and straightening herself out. "What are you doing here, then? If somebody followed you here, they could tell her. I'm not strong enough to confront her yet. I am still recovering from my wound, and have no training in combat."

"I know that. I made sure that no one followed me here. This meeting is safe. I came to tell you that there are still those on Olympus who hold you in high esteem, and are hoping for your safe return. I will help you in your training and travel, as much as I can. You must trust me, sister."

"I do trust you," she said, realizing it was completely true. Her sister Athena was an honest soul, and one of the few on Olympus who still came to visit her and give her solace. When she had disappeared from her room, Athena must have known right away, and searched frantically to find her. "But how did you find me?"

"I saw Shea bringing healing herbs and stitching silks to the cave and followed her there before awoke. I cloaked your resting place so that nobody else would find you, and when you did wake up, I listened to the tale you told Shea."

"And you believe me?"

"I do. Hera has despised you since your birth, along with all of Zeus's other illegitimate children. And you've been unfaithful to her son. She is a spiteful woman, and it came as no surprise that after so long, she hates you enough to try to kill you. But I know your heart, sister, and your sorrows. I'll do my utmost to protect you, and to help you gain the ability to face her."

"And when it comes time to face her, what do I do then? Father will surely hate me and cast me out if I kill his wife."

Athena pondered that for a moment, and then replied, "You must get yourself to the throne room of the Palace of the Gods, reveal yourself and what transpired, in front of all of the Olympians. You will then challenge Hera to single combat. The loser will yield, or die. Before the battle, you may state the conditions of what should happen if you are the victor, and Hera will have the right to do the same. Should she decline, she will be dishonored for all time."

"So I must shame her, or kill her if I want to live my life in peace." Aphrodite was slightly dismayed. "Will that not cause more strife on Olympus, and cause those who love Hera to hate me?"

Athena gave a sympathetic look. "It is the only way. It is an honorable form of combat, so there should be no shame for you, even if you should have to end her life. We do not hold grudges against those who fight for their place with such honor."

"And the conditions. Can one of them be that I am released from my marriage to Hephaestus, and that I may be with whomever I choose?"

"Yes, sister. You may ask to no longer be bound to him."

Aphrodite felt a wave of relief flood through her. "Then that is what I will do."

"Good. I will come back in a few days, and tell you where you must start. In the meantime, I will shield you in any way I can from Hera, and those who are in her grasp."

For the first time in a numbers of years so great she had lost track, Aphrodite felt a surge of true happiness, and love for her sister. "Thank you, dearest Athena! How I look forward to finally having my freedom!"

Athena smiled and held her arms out to her sister, who gladly rushed into them and embraced her.


	12. Chapter 11

After gathering as many supplies as they could carry, Aphrodite and Shea loaded the checkout, followed closely by Dom and Tristan. Each pair paid for their own merchandise and then hauled it out of the shop.

Out of breath, Shea suddenly halted. "So," she puffed, "Where are we heading first to dump this massive load of stuff off?"

"My car is parked in the lot just by the hotel," answered Dom. "We'll take our portion there first and then help you ladies take your portion back up to your hotel room."

"Sorry, Princess," Tristan fired sarcastically at Shea. "Think you can handle carrying your bags for just a few little blocks?" He gave her a faux-sympathy pout.

"I am perfectly capable of carrying my own things, thank you. And I'm no princess, Dingus. Focus on your own, and try not to break a nail. I know how desperate you were to grab that first aid kit. It would be a shame if we had to break it out early."

The "dingus" barked a laugh. "Someone forgot her Midol today."

"Alright, break it up, Lovebirds," Dom interjected just as Shea opened her mouth to retaliate. At that remark, both of them seemed to quickly silence, faces going red. They glanced at each other and then immediately away, down at the ground to focus on the walk ahead of them.

After about three minutes of the deepest and most awkward silence ever, Aphrodite was about to go insane. She piped up with some irrelevant small talk, taking the subject away from her friend. "It's a nice day out. Already warm and sunny, don't you think?"

Shea picked up on her lead, relieved. "It's gorgeous. You can just feel the sun kissing your skin, and smell the water. A perfect day," she agreed. Tristan looked up at her and smirked, but said nothing, looking away before she could catch his eyes.

The chatter picked up between the girls, and in a matter of no time, they found themselves in the lot Dom had mentioned. It was a nice enough car he brought them to, and old Mustang convertible, blue in color and starting to rust at the bottom edges of the body. Taking out a key, Dom unlatched the trunk and started stuffing in bags. The mens' bags only took up about a third of the trunk, leaving room for Aphrodite and Shea's collection as well as bags of clothes and groceries. That was a good sign, in Aphrodite's mind. She was hopeful that her friend would agree to this arrangement.

Dom then closed up the car and grabbed some of the things from Aphrodite's arms. Seeing that Tristan would not likely do the same for Shea, he went to her and took some of her burden away as well. They picked their way through the parking lot and across the small, busy road into the hotel. They took the elevator up to their floor, and then walked down the hall, all in relative silence.

Once they got the door unlocked and opened, Aphrodite plopped her bags down into the entrance closet, Shea and Dom doing the same. Tristan leaned himself against the door frame, looking bored.

Aphrodite turned to Dom with a warm smile and said, "Well, it looks like this is our stop. I think we're just going to stay in for the rest of the day."

"You bet," he responded casually. "Have a nice, relaxing day, ladies." He gave Aphrodite a small rub on the shoulder and nodded towards Shea. He then turned and looked expectantly at his friend, who gave a lazy salute and turned on his heels before striding off back down the hall. Dom shrugged apologetically and followed as Aphrodite clicked the door shut quietly.


	13. Chapter 12

After breakfast, Dom pulled out Aphrodite's chair, led her to the door, and held it open for her, like a proper gentleman. It was a nice change for Aphrodite, seeing as she had never really been courted or romanced. Her husband tried to buy her, Ares used her as his war-wench, and even with Adonis there had not been a courtship. Once he had reached the age of maturity, there had only been blind passion. With Dom, things were much different than she had expected. It was calm, slow, and gentle. Her heart gave a little squeeze as she realized she liked it. This was what she needed, even if Dom was only trying to be a friendly gentleman. She hadn't expected to be fond of this very young man after less than a day, but he was tough when he needed to be, and sweet- even doting- when there was no need for aggression. Even his faux-narcissism somehow made him more appealing.

Shea, on the other hand, meekly followed at the back of the group as Tristan sauntered out, not even bothering to hold the door open for her. Seeing this, Aphrodite hung back, letting Shea catch up, and linked her arm with her friend's, giving her a sideways look of encouragement.

Dom turned around just as he had the night before and walked backwards so that he could talk to "Aleazia" and Shea. Tristan kept walking with his back to them, as if not noticing, until Dom grabbed the arm of his jacket and spun him. Rolling his eyes and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he walked backwards beside his friend.

"Would you ladies care to accompany us today?" Dom asked. "We have a few shops to go to, errands to run. We at least need to pick up some things for our trip around the world, whether you want us to bring you along or go your own way."

Aphrodite looked to Shea- who gave her a little smile and a nod- before responding, "We would love to. We should probably get our own supplies as well." She thought she saw Tristan smirk, but it had disappeared from his face so suddenly that she couldn't be sure it had really been there in the first place.

"Well... we may not be able to stay in hotels every night, if we want to save time and money. And we should all get some emergency supplies for if we have to do anything by foot. I say our first stop should be a camping shop," Dom deduced. "Any objections?"

"Only if I have to bunk with you and your stinky fungus feet," Tristan jested, giving Dom a light punch on the shoulder. The girls laughed. This was a light side of Tristan they hadn't seen yet, and Aphrodite hoped it would last.

Dom grinned, clearly pleased that he had gotten his friend to crack a joke, even if he was still being extremely sarcastic. He still hadn't said more than a few words to Aphrodite or Shea, but it was progress.

Once they got to their designated store, the group all went directly to the section of the store that held the tents. One style in particular was on sale, a small model of it on display. "Four person tent with dividers and solar lamps. It's a better deal than the rest of the tents, and we can put the lamps in the back window of the car during the day to charge them. We'll get two, that way we all get lots of space, and I don't have to see Tristan sleeping nude," He punched Tristan back, and they both chuckled.

"At least he's got the body for it," Shea blathered before she could stop herself. Tristan and Dom stopped dead and stared at her, and Aphrodite's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Umm…" Shea scrambled for something else to say, and failed. Her face went several shades of red.

It looked as though she was about to run away with her hands over her face, until Tristan burst out laughing. "I guess I **am** quite irresistible. Don't worry, doll, you were bound to say it sooner or later."

Shea screwed up her face. "Don't call me doll like I'm some fragile little toy of yours. I have a name, and it's Shea."

Tristan put his hands up. "Whoa there. No need to get all defensive, **doll**. I mean it in the best possible way."

"Ughh," Shea scoffed, walking away. "I'm going to find some steel-toed hiking boots. You never know when you might need them."

Tristan shot a mock-girl-scoff back at her and replied, "Then I'll go find the first-aid kit. You never know when you might get a steel-toed hiking boot to the face."

As she was turning at the end of the aisle toward the row of boots, she shot him a look of- clearly feigned- disgust and muttered, "As if I would touch you with any part of my body."

Dom held out his arm as Aphrodite giggled. "Ah, the blossoming romance of two people in their second childhood," he smirked, and she giggled even more, accepting his offered arm.


	14. Chapter 13

After gathering as many supplies as they could carry, Aphrodite and Shea loaded the checkout, followed closely by Dom and Tristan. Each pair paid for their own merchandise and then hauled it out of the shop.

Out of breath, Shea suddenly halted. "So," she puffed, "Where are we heading first to dump this massive load of stuff off?"

"My car is parked in the lot just by the hotel," answered Dom. "We'll take our portion there first and then help you ladies take your portion back up to your hotel room."

"Sorry, Princess," Tristan fired sarcastically at Shea. "Think you can handle carrying your bags for just a few little blocks?" He gave her a faux-sympathy pout.

"I am perfectly capable of carrying my own things, thank you. And I'm no princess, Dingus. Focus on your own, and try not to break a nail. I know how desperate you were to grab that first aid kit. It would be a shame if we had to break it out early."

The "dingus" barked a laugh. "Someone forgot her Midol today."

"Alright, break it up, Lovebirds," Dom interjected just as Shea opened her mouth to retaliate. At that remark, both of them seemed to quickly silence, faces going red. They glanced at each other and then immediately away, down at the ground to focus on the walk ahead of them.

After about three minutes of the deepest and most awkward silence ever, Aphrodite was about to go insane. She piped up with some irrelevant small talk, taking the subject away from her friend. "It's a nice day out. Already warm and sunny, don't you think?"

Shea picked up on her lead, relieved. "It's gorgeous. You can just feel the sun kissing your skin, and smell the water. A perfect day," she agreed. Tristan looked up at her and smirked, but said nothing, looking away before she could catch his eyes.

The chatter picked up between the girls, and in a matter of no time, they found themselves in the lot Dom had mentioned. It was a nice enough car he brought them to, and old Mustang convertible, blue in color and starting to rust at the bottom edges of the body. Taking out a key, Dom unlatched the trunk and started stuffing in bags. The mens' bags only took up about a third of the trunk, leaving room for Aphrodite and Shea's collection as well as bags of clothes and groceries. That was a good sign, in Aphrodite's mind. She was hopeful that her friend would agree to this arrangement.

Dom then closed up the car and grabbed some of the things from Aphrodite's arms. Seeing that Tristan would not likely do the same for Shea, he went to her and took some of her burden away as well. They picked their way through the parking lot and across the small, busy road into the hotel. They took the elevator up to their floor, and then walked down the hall, all in relative silence.

Once they got the door unlocked and opened, Aphrodite plopped her bags down into the entrance closet, Shea and Dom doing the same. Tristan leaned himself against the door frame, looking bored.

Aphrodite turned to Dom with a warm smile and said, "Well, it looks like this is our stop. I think we're just going to stay in for the rest of the day."

"You bet," he responded casually. "Have a nice, relaxing day, ladies." He gave Aphrodite a small rub on the shoulder and nodded towards Shea. He then turned and looked expectantly at his friend, who gave a lazy salute and turned on his heels before striding off back down the hall. Dom shrugged apologetically and followed as Aphrodite clicked the door shut quietly.


	15. Chapter 14

Aphrodite shook her shoes off in the doorway and stalked into the bathroom. After shaking out her hair she looked herself over in the mirror. This strange but pretty face and the long auburn hair were still so foreign to her, but she was slowly getting comfortable with herself, with being Aleazia. For the first time in a long time, she felt a semblance of freedom. She had not felt the need to look over her shoulder once that day; she had been out in the world, bathed in sunlight and summer breeze. Pulling off her dress, she examined her wound. It was healing much faster than a mortal body, but still more slowly than she had ever healed before. A blade of a god was one of the only things that could harm her so, and the only thing that could put her life at risk- other than the bare hands and brute strength of another immortal being.

A knock on the door dragged her out of her thoughts. "One second," she called out as she grabbed a wash cloth and washed the dust from the day off of her feet and washed her hands. She opened the bathroom door to a concerned-looking Shea.

"Are you feeling alright? You were in there for a while, and you've been quiet since we got back."

"I'm fine," Aphrodite responded. "I was just thinking. Go ahead and clean up and then we'll turn on a movie, alright? I'm excited to see just what they've done with technology in this world while I've been gone."

"Just wait until I get you a cell phone," Shea chuckled as she danced into the bathroom.

There were so many new things in this world to discover, it was slightly overwhelming for Aphrodite, but exciting at the same time. She slipped over to the small dresser provided in the hotel room and grabbed herself a satin dolly.  
Shea came back into the room and put on a tank top and pajama pants, and then hopped onto Aphrodite's bed with her and flipped on the TV.

"You really enjoy having two legs, don't you?" Aphrodite inquired as Shea flipped through the movies they could order.

Shea smiled and nodded. "I love it. It's so liberating. And with your gift to me, I can go wherever I wish now, land or sea. This is true freedom. Two of the best gifts I have ever been given combining to give me what I have longed for my whole life. It's incredible. Thank you, Aph. Truly, you are the best friend I have ever known."

"And you are mine. But I do envy you, a little. I also wish for true freedom, a life for myself, where I can decide where I go, what I do, and who I love. I want to have a real marriage, not the sham of one I was forced into by my father. I have had a small taste of that freedom, here with you, but at the end of the day I still have to keep my guard up. I have to hide who I really am, and I have to learn and train so that I can fight to win back my own life. I shouldn't have to fight for my life just so that I can make my own decisions. I am thousands of years old, and have never yet experienced what it's like for my life to be my own."

Shea rubbed Aphrodite lightly on the back. "I know. But we will figure it out together. I will do whatever it takes to help you take back your control. We'll get through it. But hey," she perked up, "I know exactly which movie we should watch. It has a happy ending, and it might cheer you up."

"What's it called?" Aphrodite gaped at the television set, seeing moving pictures for the first time ever.

"It's a cartoon. It's called 'Aladdin'," Shea giggled, pushing a button on what she had called a "remote".

An explosion of sound and color took over her senses, making Aphrodite gasp. For over an hour, she could do nothing but stare at the television and the story that unfolded in front of her.


	16. Chapter 15

After a long night spent discovering the wonders of turning stories and legends into moving pictures with light and sound, Aphrodite was thoroughly exhausted. She was in the midst of watching the story of Hercules when she began to drift off. Her eyelids became heavy and her eyes stung, so she gave in and let the darkness of sleep pull her in.

 **Aphrodite felt herself being pulled, almost dragged, to a place familiar to her by memory. When the motion stopped, her vision cleared somewhat, remaining only slightly blurred. It was hot and muggy here, the air thin and full of humidity. Each breath she took seemed to scorch her lungs. She looked around herself, taking in her surroundings. Her subconscious had brought her to the Underworld, and everywhere around her she could hear the screams of the damned and eternally tortured. Hot brimstone sat beneath her feet, and made the ledge where she had been sat. Steam rose of the rock, making it difficult to see far into the distance. She as on a small ledge in a corner, where she doubted anyone could see her; but she saw someone, just barely. A man knelt on the brimstone, slumping with weakness. Shackles were secured around his wrists and ankles, chains ran across his arms, wound around his torso. The heat from the stone it was fastened to had coursed its way through the metal, searing the man where it touched his flesh. He groaned and shuddered as his head sagged beneath his shoulders; a head of golden hair. As she realized who he was, Aphrodite tried to cry out. Nothing came; she had no voice to call out to her former lover.**

 **A horrendous screeching noise came, accompanied by clicking footsteps. Another man appeared in a black robe, faded and tattered. Hades, Lord of the Underworld, stepped through the haze; the dragging of his staff was the cause of the screeching. Hades stopped in front of Adonis and reached his boney fingers out to grab the young man's face. Forcing Adonis to look at his gaunt, cruel face, Hades sneered. "You," His gruff voice rasped accusingly. "I have been searching for you, Adonis. You have stolen the affection of my wife, and for too long you have taken her attention away from me, and my realm. Persephone has a responsibility to the souls of those who have perished, and yet those who should be resting peacefully in Elysium are thrown with the eternally damned of Hades, wandering, suffering. I am drowning in souls with no time to properly place them, and why? Because of the soul of a boy, who has remained eternally blessed with a face Aphrodite herself could envy, and Narcissus could fall in love with." With a growl, Hades struck Adonis, forcing his face back down. "My wife has tended to you as her little pet, a trophy. Meanwhile she has spurned me, and neglected my precious souls."**

 **Hades spat on the ground where Adonis knelt, and then gave an ear-splitting cackle. "She has hidden you well, until now. I will make you pay for what you have done to me."**

 **"Please," came the quivering voice of Adonis, weak with exhaustion. "I had no choice; she forced me to stay with her. I was her slave, I had no choice. Please, please..."**

 **"Silence!" Hades cut Adonis off with a hiss. He back-handed him, and the sound reverberated off of the walls of hot stone. "I care not for your excuses, nor do I care about your willingness. You have caused this. You, with your handsome face and perfect body. I am going to finally remove the obstacles from my marriage and my world. Adonis, the great beauty, lover of Aphrodite and of Persephone, I sentence you to death."**

 **"But I am already dead," Adonis cried, fear mixing with confusion.**

 **"True death; the death of the soul. I will send you into the void of oblivion forever. You will have no body, no sight, only darkness. Forever. I will make your end full of nothing but pain and misery."**

 **Aphrodite tried to move to the aid of her long lost lover, but she was unable. She was completely paralyzed, her limbs as unyielding as the brimstone they rested upon. All she could do was watch in horror, her breath ragged and painful. Her heart broke with every one of his pleas as Adonis begged for mercy.**

 **Her uncle's face twisted into a gruesome smile as he placed his hand on Adonis' golden hair. Steam started pouring out of Adonis as his skin began to glow red hot, like molten lava. The laughter started at the same time as the screams, both rising in volume and intensity as flames began to burst out of Adonis, singeing his hair. His eyes and tongue began to melt and liquefy, the screams turning to gurgles, as Hades' cackles of glee turned into longer bellows of maniacal laughter. The skin began to slough off of Adonis' bones in chunks, melting into puddles at his knees. The gurgling screams were choked and cut off finally, as his bones began to splinter and break apart. And then, he disintegrated into a cloud of ash, and his chains dropping to the ground, and Adonis was no more.**

Torn from her vision, Aphrodite sat bolt upright in her bed, shrieking. She had finally regained the movement of her body and the sound of her voice, but control over them still evaded her. She trembled and screamed until she fell back into her bed, weak and feverish, and lost consciousness once again.


	17. Chapter 16

"Ally?" A voice called, sounding distant. "Ally, Ally." It was coming closer and closer. "Aleazia.. Please wake up," the voice said from very close by, and as Aphrodite opened her eyes, she felt a cool hand pressing onto her forehead.

"Mm.. ugh... what's going on?" Her voice came out weak, strained.

"You've been unconscious all day. You're running a temperature. Dom and Tristan are here, I didn't know who else to call," Shea said in a meek voice, and then whispered, "I didn't know if a mortal doctor would be able to help you," low enough that Tristan and Dom, who were sitting in the corner at the small table, could not hear her. No wonder Shea had been calling her by her fake mortal name.

"I... My subconscious... Was in Hades. Adonis... he's gone... forever... The fever will go away soon.. But.." A tear slid down Aphrodite's cheek. She had watched him grow, age as she never would. She'd shared so many things with him.

Shea's eyes softened and saddened. "I am so sorry." She wiped the tear from her friend's face.

Dom looked over then and, realizing Aphrodite was awake, immediately stood and rushed to her side. "Hey," He said gently. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine.. just tired." Aphrodite looked him over and immediately felt guilty. Somehow her lingering feelings of love and grief over Adonis felt selfish. He had been dead and gone for thousands of years, and never had he come to be by her side in times of depression or sickness. But Dom was right here, looking over every bit of her, anxious to make sure she was alright. This handsome stranger-turned-friend, whom she had come to trust completely in such a short amount of time. Once again, she looked into his eyes and felt the inexplicable pull towards this young man. "Umm... Thank you.. for coming to make sure I'm okay." She felt her face heat as it reddened.

He chuckled. "No problem. Here, I'm going to get you a cool cloth and a soup. Hopefully we can break this fever and you can be better by tomorrow." He got up and swiftly shuffled into the bathroom, bringing out a small hand towel dampened with cool water. He gently pushed it onto her forehead and grabbed the hotel phone. He called for Room Service and ordered each of them a meal and Aphrodite a chicken noodle and vegetable soup.

Aphrodite shifted the sheets off, welcoming the cool breeze that hit her body as she pushed herself into a sitting position, leaning against the pillows and headboard. She felt a wave of dizziness as she sat up. Her blood pressure had plummeted, no thanks to the terrible ordeal she had just been put through. She sighed as it passed, and washed her face with the cool cloth she'd been given.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door and a waiter from the restaurant downstairs brought in a trolley full of food and drinks. He set a portable bed tray over Aphrodite's lap and gave her food to her. Then he set the rest of the trays of food on the small table for the others, and wheeled his trolley out the door. Dom followed him and graciously thanked him while handing him a generous tip. The waiter expressed his gratitude, and then turned to leave as Dom quietly closed the door.

Feeling queasy, Aphrodite spooned some soup into her mouth. Realizing how hungry she was, she fanned the soup and finished it rather quickly, feeling her strength slowly begin to return.

With a giggle, Shea offered her friend an apple juice. Aphrodite gulped it down in one breath. "Feeling better already? Here, have some of my fries. You haven't eaten since yesterday, you must be starving." Nodding, Aphrodite took the proffered food and munched on the warm, lightly salted fries.

"Thank you. All of you, for taking such good care of me."

Dom and Shea smiled, simultaneously reaching out to stroke her arms. Tristan swigged the last of his drink, looking bored. "Alright, alright. We came, we waited for hours for her to wake up, we made sure she was okay, and we got some grub. Can we go now? In case I haven't already caught whatever bug she has, I'd like to spend my day tomorrow not getting sick."

Shea rolled her eyes and scoffed as Dom sighed, exasperated. "Are you alright with just Shea if we go? I can stay, if you'd like."

"It's alright. She knows how to take good care of me, and I feel much better already. Go with your friend. I'll see you tomorrow. And besides, if anything goes wrong, Shea can just call you again, and you can come rescue me," she winked.

"Ha," he chuckled. "Yes, because I'm the knight in shining armor in your fairy tale."

"Who knows? You could be," she smiled as he kissed her hand and stood to leave.

Tristan smirked as he and Dom put on their coats and shoes. "Night, chickies."

Shea gave a half-grunt-half-wave as they walked out. Aphrodite grabbed her hand as soon as they were gone. "Shea. What do you think of them? Do we trust them?"

Shea sighed. "Hmmm... Well, Dom adores you, and you should have seen how he rushed here when he heard you were sick. And Tristan... Heh.. He is a sarcastic smart-a*s, but he seems to be a good enough guy. At least he has good intentions. He doesn't like to show it, but I think he was anxious about things here too. And he obviously cares about Dom. Why do you ask?"

Aphrodite shook her head slowly. "Whatever this is... Before it goes any farther... Shea, we need to tell them the truth."


	18. Chapter 17

Aphrodite's fever went away over the course of a few hours, and she found herself exhausted. Even so, she could not sleep. She tossed and turned for hours, fretting nervously over what she would tell Dom, and how. She rolled and thought, rolled and thought, until her mind shut itself down and she passed out, only to be woken an hour later. Her eyes burned as she rolled out of bed, dreading the reaction of her new-found companions.

A hot shower did naught to help her dismal mood, nor did picking out a lovely, modern outfit. As she looked at Shea, she knew she felt it too; the gripping apprehension towards the day they had ahead of them.* Please let this go well*, she thought to nobody in particular.

Aphrodite sat and watched as Shea unlocked her phone, opened a new message to both Dom and Tristan, and typed in the simple text, "We need to talk. Meet in the hotel restaurant in 30 minutes."

25 minutes later, the girls put their shoes on and walked out of their hotel room. **This is it** , thought Aphrodite. **One more nice breakfast, and then everything changes. Sister, Athena, please give me strength, the courage to face the truth, and the bravery to face what I might lose by saying it aloud**.

Then she saw them, and almost turned back. Almost. Seeing the look on Dom's face is what stopped her, along with the fact that it was mirrored almost precisely on Tristan's; a look of unmistakable worry. She kept walking, Shea next to her, reassuringly holding her hand. The moment he turned towards her, meeting her eyes, most of the worry seemed to melt away, along with much of the apprehension Aphrodite herself was feeling. Dom seemed relieved, even pleased, to see her, and that gave her a resolve. Surely he would believe her, and understand. He wouldn't be the one to abandon her- at least, she hoped not.

Dom approached, smiling. He immediately touched his hand to her face, then her arm, inspecting her as if he were making absolutely sure she was well and all in one piece. "Thank goodness you're alright. The text Shea sent this morning had us both worried something had happened. We rushed over." He glanced over at Shea, who gave him a meek, apologetic look.

"No, I'm quite well, actually. It's about something else entirely, but thank you very much for the concern," said Aphrodite, touched that she was blessed with people who had started to care for her so whole-heartedly, and so quickly.

"See? If it's not about her being sick, it's them trying to let us down easy and ditch us. They don't want some dudes they just met following them around the globe." It was Tristan who had spoken, sarcastically as always. But under his facade, he could not hide the small hint of hurt in his eyes.

The girls were completely taken aback, Shea looking utterly wounded as she said, "That's not true at all. It's not what you think.."

Hurt was replaced with worry and confusion on both young men's faces, and Aphrodite interjected. "Here, I'm starved. Let's sit down and have breakfast, and then we can go back to the room and talk in private," she pleaded. There was a short silence.

"You better not be some kind of serial killers setting a trap for us," Tristan suddenly joked, making all of them crack a smile and laugh.

After breakfast, the four of them all doddled up to the room, and sat on the two beds; Aphrodite and Shea facing Dom and Tristan.

Realizing there was no easy way to do this and sighing, Aphrodite decided to go all in and, as Shea had suggested, "rip off the metaphorical bandage". "Here goes... My name isn't Aleazia Proctor... It's Aphrodite. I'm an Olympian goddess, and I've been alive for quite a few thousands of years.."


	19. Chapter 18

After a long silence, Dom and Tristan gave each other a dumb-founded look, then glanced back at Aphrodite, unsure what to say or do. Oddly, Tristan was the first to speak up. "Uhhhh... You're what? Like the fairy tales?"

"They're called myths, but they're really true. Most of them. I am a being with powers, immortal in the way that I do not age past my maturity, and will not die unless I am killed or gravely injured by someone else that is either a God, a Demigod, or holds a weapon forged by Olympians, specifically Hephaestus. He is the Smith god, and the man I was forced to marry..." Aphrodite glanced at Dom's face as she said this, the shock and disbelief making it almost impossible for him to process what she was saying.

"Riggghttt... So you're he goddess of love and beauty," Tristan cracked, and then turned his gaze towards Shea. "And who are you, the Tooth Fairy?"

"No," Shea replied, shaking nervously. "I'm a Demigoddess; A daughter of Poseidon. I'm a... mermaid."

At that point, the boys looked at each other and burst out laughing. Hysterically. "Oh.. wow," Dom said. "You girls had us going. We were so worried about what you were going to say. Are you video recording this? This is the best practical joke ever. Where's the camera?"

"No. We aren't joking. Please take this seriously," Aphrodite pleaded.

Faces dropping, Dom and Tristan stopped their laughter at a dead halt. "Wow. Did you take some medicine that made you loopy? That fever must have really gotten to you," Dom replied hesitantly, clearly worried again.

Aphrodite took a deep breath and looked at Shea, who gave a nod, knowing what she was going to do next. Without a word, Aphrodite shed her disguise, her blonde locks falling over her beautiful face of legend. One at a time, she looked both young man in the eyes, silently begging them to see her, the real her, and believe. Both gave a silent gasp and fell completely silent, their breath shortening. They were in complete shock now, almost in a panic. She changed herself back into Aleazia, and waited.

Several agonizing moments later, Dom stood. Fearing that he would turn from her and leave, Aphrodite hung her head and closed her eyes, sighing. He didn't, though. She hardly heard the footsteps coming towards her, but very vividly felt the hand that touched hers. She turned her head to look into his eyes and met his steady, burning gaze. In earnest, he wound his hand into hers and breathed, "I see you. And I don't care what you are, I care who you are. I like you for how you talk, how you walk, the things you say and do. How you look and what your name is make no difference to me. If you would still have me, I would love to accompany you on your... what is it? A vacation? An adventure?"

"That is a complicated story, and a lot to take in. Let's get a breath of fresh air first, a long walk so we can all adjust and settle, before we go into anything else."

Dom nodded and looked towards Tristan, who was still sitting on the other bed, mouth agape. Tristan then looked towards Shea, searching her eyes for answers. "First," he said quietly, "I want to see what you really look like."

Shea was taken aback. She shook her head vigorously, going pale. "No. I'm ugly.. you'll never want to look at me again."

Standing, Tristan also shook his head, but much more slowly. "That's not true. Please, show me. Don't be afraid. I want to see you."

The urgency and honestly in his tone of voice and body language was something neither Shea nor Aphrodite had seen, or expected. Visibly shaking, Shea gave one nod. "I can show you what I look like with legs… will that do for now?"

After seeing Tristan nod, she took a long, deep breath, and let the illusion of the human girl drop. Her hair had been straightened, but it was now the color of coral reef rather than chocolate brown. The nautical stars shone a lush green in her blue eyes, and her skin glimmered like it had in the cave where she and Aphrodite had first met. There was webbing between her fingers, and her nails were harder and sharper. Tristan audibly gasped, along with his friend.

"See?" She cringed, "I told you. I'm ug-"

She was cut off mid-sentence as Tristan took hold of her face and pulled her lips to his.


	20. Chapter 19

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine Ch.19**

 **(**NOTE: Sorry I haven't posted in a while. My files were corrupted and I had to fix, search, and copy from an old, broken computer to get them back. You are welcome to message me with any feedback or requests at any time. And thank you for reading.)**

Aphrodite felt her jaw drop – a look that was mirrored on Dom's face. Tristan had been dismissive up until this point, casually bored with Shea, and completely disinterested. The shock of the sudden wave of emotion coming from him seemed uncontrollable and unrestrained, surprising Aphrodite, Dom, Shea, and even Tristan himself. Just as Shea's tensed body started to relax, Tristan stepped back and hugged his arms around himself as if to bind his emotions.

"I'm so sorry," he said quickly, dropping his eyes to the floor.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Shea stepped toward him. Gently, she reached forward and pulled his arms away from his body, entwining their fingers at their sides. She tilted her head to the side until Tristan caught her gaze, and held it. "Don't be," she whispered with a smile, and released one of his hands. Holding his cheek softly, she leaned in to him until their lips touched. With a soft noise – half whimper and half moan – Tristan's body melted into hers. He wrapped his free arm around her back and held the back of her head, deepening and intensifying the kiss.

Peeling her eyes away, Aphrodite sidled closer to Dom and whispered as quietly as she could manage, "This would be our cue to leave them to their private moment, huh?"

Dom smirked and nodded his head in the direction of the door, and the two slipped out of the room silently.

Once Aphrodite and Dom reached the sidewalk outside the hotel, they both started laughing. "Wow," Aphrodite breathed as she calmed herself. "I was not expecting something like that to happen."

"Shocked me just the same," Dom chuckled. "I told you, though. Tristan tends to put up barriers, but once they start coming down, they crash down pretty hard. Shea has always been fascinating to him in a way, but by shedding her disguise and showing her true self, she proved herself to him. I guess he found a way to do the same for her. He gave up his mask of nonchalance and sarcasm, and showed her the real, vulnerable Tristan that I grew up with."

"Will it stay that way?"

"I'm not sure. It may take some time, and Tristan will never stop acting like a sarcastic goofball, but I think he's done pretending that he's not completely falling for your friend."

That made Aphrodite smile. Good for them, then. Shea had never known a man who had accepted her as she was; colorful, mysterious, dangerous-looking, and yet strikingly beautiful. And from what Dom had told her, Tristan was normally closed off from everyone. Both of them had to be so lonely living like that. Her heart squeezed painfully as she realized just how much she knew that feeling, and then swelled with happiness for them. "Well, I suppose we should give them a while to be alone with each other and let out all of those pent up emotions. Where should we go?"

Dom pondered that, looking up at the sky. Well, it's a beautiful day. What would you say to heading to the beach for a little while?" He held out his arm, and Aphrodite took it, nodding her approval.

They strode to the white strip of soft sand together, arm in arm, and sat down. Aphrodite took her shoes off and put her toes into the warm sand, sighing. It felt good between her toes. All the anxiety she had felt in the last few days melted out of her and her head flopped down onto her knees. She closed her eyes and let the Sun warm her hair, her skin, her soul. When she opened them again, Dom was watching her with a sort of bemused look on his face. "You are gorgeous you know that? Everything about you," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Though she had heard it before, too many times to count, his words made her face flush with warm blood. She lifted her hand to where his lingered, just by her neck, and entwined their fingers. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

"Ha. Well, thank you. So… an immortal goddess, huh?"

"What would you like to know? I will tell you anything."

Dom's eyes narrowed in thought. "Well, I've always wondered about the whole 'Atlas' thing. How can the guy be holding up the world if it's a planet?" He looked at her, only half joking.

"Oh. That's kind of an old legend. Just like the other Titans, Atlas was imprisoned after the war between the immortals. They were all kept in different places, though; so that it was unlikely they would escape and join forces again. Atlas is kept near the core of the earth, and he is charged to live out the rest of his days there. His weight keeps the world in balance, keeps it spinning at an even rate. See, during the war, he used his size to step on whoever he could, and he ended up stomping so hard that he caused a rift in the Earth's crust. That rift went nearly all the way down to the core. So, as punishment, he was forced underground, and made to mend the crack, to seal himself in until he reached the end. He nearly destroyed the entire planet and all the life it held. So, the legend has some truth to it."

"And nobody corrected people when they assumed the world was flat?"

"Human beings need to learn on their own. Our knowledge of this universe is far too much for them to handle, until mankind has stripped itself of its greed and selfishness. They learn as they start to evolve. That is the way it must be, or they will surely consume themselves in the scramble for power and money. Even gods can only help so much."

Dom thought on that and slowly nodded. "I understand that. So tell me more about yourself, I would like to know everything I can about you. Thousands of years old, there has to be a lot of history there."

Aphrodite smirked. "It's not a very nice tale, but if you insist." Dom nodded. "Well then. Where to begin?" And they sat on the beach, soaking in the Sun as she began to tell the tale of her life to the young man sitting beside her, holding her hand.


	21. Chapter 20

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine Ch.20**

The midday sun was shining down on them by the time that Aphrodite finished speaking. "And that's when we met you. I've done so many things that I regret; I've taken my pain out on so many people, even the people who have done nothing but care for me and show me compassion. I have failed myself, turned into the monstrous type of person that I loathe. I've lowered myself to the level of the people who have hurt and betrayed me. I deserved what Hera did to me." Tears filled her eyes as she tried to choke back her shame. As a tear fell down her cheek, a soft breeze blew wisps of hair across her face. She was grateful for that, hoping it would mask her unwanted weeping from Dom.

But he wasn't fooled. Dom gently breathed, "Hey," as he lightly swept back the wayward strands of her auburn hair and cradled her face in his hands. "You may have reacted strongly, but what has been done to you by your family is absolutely disgusting. It's abominable. You have every right to choose who you love, who you marry, and who you give yourself to. I can't imagine going through thousands of years of that kind of abuse, and I am amazed that you kept even a shred of yourself that is kind and decent. Look at you now. You have realized your faults, the things about yourself that you want to change. But you also recognize that there are things about yourself that are worth protecting. You are fighting for the change you want to see in your life every day. I see it. I see the real beauty radiating from deep within you, not just the beauty of your skin." He wiped his thumb across her cheeks, drying the stray tears. "You really are the most beautiful goddess in existence, but that's not because of the way you look. Your real beauty is in maintaining your strength, dignity, and ability to empathise with others, even after everything you've been put through. I am amazed by you more and more every day." He paused then, as if unsure how to say something, or whether he should say it at all. She then saw the determination cross his face, and he looked her straight in the eyes, as if trying to bore his words into her soul. "If you were mine, I would never force myself on you, never manipulate you, and I would never expect anything from you that you didn't want to give. I wouldn't take advantage of you, seeing you feel unloved and underappreciated." Aphrodite gasped slightly, taken aback by his words. His sudden intensity was softened by the undertones of great affection. Still staring intently, he quietly continued, "I want that for you. Mostly, I want to be the one to give that to you. I'm drawn to you in ways that I can't even explain. I want you to be mine, but I don't want to push myself on you."

Aphrodite closed her eyes and drew in a long, shaky breath. Letting it out in a sigh, she leaned forward until her brow touched Dom's. "I want that, too. I can't say that I'm not afraid, because I'm terrified. But I want to trust you, because I feel the same way that you do."

"This is my promise to you," Dom cooed, stroking Aphrodite's chin. "From now until the end of time, I will never hurt you, never betray you, and I will only go as far as you want me to. I swear it."

Contented by this, Aphrodite let herself trust his declaration wholeheartedly. "Thank you," she sighed, letting her whole body relax and lean into his. He wrapped his arms around her in an embrace so gentle that she finally felt as if she were something precious; something treasured.

Almost an hour passed into the early afternoon before Dom got a message on his cell phone, but it felt like no time at all to Aphrodite, who was blissfully cherishing the quiet affection. Dom responded, and a few minutes later, Tristan and Shea walked up the sand toward them.

"What have you lovebirds been up to this whole time?" Tristan joked.

"Talking, mostly. How was your make-out session?" Dom retaliated, chuckling.

"Didn't last long, actually. We've mostly just been talking, too," Shea piped up. She looked as Aphrodite felt; too satisfied for words.

The disinterested façade that Tristan had put up since they'd met was gone, replaced by an attentive smile. _Looks like we're all finally in synch with each other,_ Aphrodite thought, smiling to herself.

"Well, then. Who's up for a late lunch?" Dom asked, and the rest of the group muttered in assent before straightening out and walking towards the hotel's restaurant together.

After lunch, the four companions ventured back towards the hotel room where the girls had revealed themselves only a short time ago. Walking down the hall, Aphrodite slipped her fingers into Dom's, her heart thrumming in her chest at recalling his sweet words. _If you were mine, I would never force myself on you, never manipulate you, and I would never expect anything from you that you didn't want to give._ They played their way through her thoughts again and again. _If you were mine… If you were mine…_

"I am, you know," she voiced aloud, taking Dom by surprise as they reached the door to the suite. "Yours, that is. If you want me to be." In response, Dom squeezed her hand in his, flashed a dazzling smile, and nodded. His eyes sparkled in the electric lighting.

They opened the door and stepped into the room to find Athena sitting on the edge of one of the beds. "Hello, sister. I know what you must do," she said firmly.


	22. Chapter 21

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.21**

Dom and Tristan seemed surprised and perturbed that Athena had appeared so suddenly and had not acknowledged their presence at all. She looked at them for a moment, as if amused by the expressions on their faces. "I have been closely watching my sister, dear boys. I've seen your interactions with her, so I am not surprised in the least to find you here," she explained. The young men exchanged one tense glance before relaxing themselves. "And you obviously already know who I am, as my sister has explained the situation to you. I felt no need to introduce myself."

Aphrodite giggled at her blunt sister and chirped with excitement. "Athena! I'm so happy you're here, dear sister."

"As am I. Now, back to the reason I'm here."

Aphrodite cleared her throat with a loud, "Ahem," straightening out her posture and hardening her face. "Yes. Please tell me what I must do to prepare myself for combat with Hera."

Somberly, Athena spoke. "The journey ahead of you is not a simple one, nor is it safe. You must travel as any human would, so as not to draw attention to yourself. Use only mundane means of food and travel. You must complete three difficult tasks. First, you must go to America. In the state known as California, beneath the City of Los Angeles, the demigod Cormeceus has set up a facility where you and your friends may stay. There, you will train in hand-to-hand combat. You will be taught skills both elite and diverse, and you will be tested by Cormeceus himself. He is highly skilled, and you will pass the test only when you succeed in defeating him in the combat arena.

"Next, you will travel back to Greece, to Larissa, where you will find Kyboclus. He will train you in combat with sword and shield, as the mighty Myrmidons of legend fought. You will hone your skills with a blade until Kyboclus deems you worthy to fight in his arena. Your second trial will be to win a tournament. Once you have succeeded, I will find you myself.

"Your third and final trial will be, in a way, the most challenging of all. I will send you into the Labyrinth of Daedalus. You must se both body and mind to pass this test. Solve it's many puzzles and riddles, and be careful not to lose your way. Once you reach the center chamber, you must challenge the Minotaur in a battle to the death. Only by defeating him will you be free to leave the Labyrinth. Win, and you will be granted passage back into Olympus. Lose, and your soul will be sent to the Underworld, where Hades awaits you. Until you have passed these trials, your way back to Olympus has been barred."

Aphrodite gaped at her sister as she took in all of this new information. "I have to risk getting lost in a labyrinth or killed by a mindless beast? Or I can never go home again?!" Her blood began to boil, and an explosive anger filled her. "How could you do this to me?! I asked for you to help me defeat Hera, not the other way around!" She fumed and panted and shook with rage.

"I did it for your own good. Do not act so indignant, sister. Hera may have been in the wrong, attacking you as she did, but it is your own foolishness and ill temper that put you in this position in the first place. To pass these tests, you must remember who you were, and what you once stood for. You are not worthy to pass the Gates of Olympus without the humility, strength, love, and compassion you once possessed. And without completing these tasks, you will surely suffer defeat at the hands of Hera. Once you have entered into single combat with her, none can intercede until one of you has perished or forfeited themselves to a life of exile. I don't make the rules, sister. Do not mistake this as my being uncaring. I love you so and have cherished you through all of your perils. My only wish is for you to succeed, and to find the lovely woman you once were along the way." With that, Athena disappeared in a flourish of smoke and wind.

Her blinding rage subsided, and Aphrodite, deflated, fell to her knees and cried. She gasped and heaved in pitiful sobs.

Shea dropped down beside her and put an arm around her friend. "Oh, my dearest," she crooned, sounding nearly motherly. She held her for a few more moments to give her time to calm herself. "I love you, Ally," Shea sighed, using Aphrodite's new nickname. "But this behavior is beyond reproachful. It's irrational. Calm yourself. She's only trying to help."

Dom, who had been stunned into silence by Aphrodite's reaction to Athena, shook his head and chimed in. "Agreed. Don't get me wrong, I like a little bit of fire in a woman, but that was a colossal meltdown."

Tristan, blunt as always, spoke up as well. "Seriously. That was a tantrum befitting a toddler."

Realizing they were right, Aphrodite felt horrid. "Oh, my goodness. You're right," she spoke her thoughts aloud while wiping her face and composing herself. "That was undignified. It was mean and awful. I am so sorry. To all of you, and to Athena," she called out, knowing her sister would hear. "I have spent so long being an ill-tempered and impatient shrew. My selfishness and vanity have taken hold of me more than I ever thought possible. I apologize, and I promise, I am going to change. I will be better than this ugly person I've become. As you wish it, sister, so it shall be."

Dom softened at this and knelt down on the side of Aphrodite not occupied by her best friend. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "And we will be there to help, in any way we can. All of us," he said, looking pointedly at Tristan. He got the hint and knelt down in front of Aphrodite and put his arms around the group so that they were all in an awkward huddle on the floor.

Aphrodite let out a small laugh and raised her arms to embrace her new friends, who felt, in that moment, more like a family than she had ever felt in her long life. "Thank you," she spoke softly, her heart swollen with love and admiration.

Tristan, who was apparently done with this touchy-feely moment, dropped his arms and jumped up to his feet. "Alright, then. Now that we've got all that crap out of the way, get up. Pack your things, we'll check out and leave first thing in the morning. I mean, if that's alright with you, _boss_."

Aphrodite laughed out loud. "Sounds like a good plan, _Tris_."

"Ugh! Horrible nickname! If you have to shorten my name, please, just call me T," Tristan made a sour face as the rest of them got to their feet. They all had a good laugh.


	23. Chapter 22

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.22**

Morning arrived too slowly for Aphrodite. It had been a week since she had first met Dom, first felt the strange click that drew her to him. Last night, as he and Tristan walked out the door to go back to their own place, Dom had turned at the door, stroked her cheek, and lightly kissed her. It was a small kiss; simple and sweet. And yet, her body reacted as if she had been jolted by lightning. It felt sublime, gentle but intense all at once. It stirred feelings within her, a shiver of certain nerves; a spectacular feeling that she hadn't had in ages. Literally ages. Many generations of people had lived and died since she last felt that particular longing sensation, and even then, she had never felt a pull so strong. She hadn't slept all night for thinking about it, about him. She had ached with the anticipation of seeing him again.

Shea had taken notice. They stayed up and talked for hours about their day and the feelings that had come along with it. Shea's eyes gleamed when she talked about Tristan. Aphrodite had never seen a girl so feverishly excited about a boy after such a short time. But then, she completely understood the feeling. They were like two teenage girls, positively giddy gossiping about their new boys.

When the sun finally came up, the girls quickly got themselves dressed and gathered their things. They called down to the front desk to have trolley brought up for their rather large bags of clothing and toiletries.

Dom and Tristan walked into the lobby just as they were checking out at the desk. Tristan smirked and winked, Shea blushed and giggled. It was just about adorable enough to make Aphrodite vomit. Dom looked as though he felt the same, and the two exchanged a wry smile. Aphrodite did her best to hide just how excited she was that Dom was with her again. One of the hotel employees escorted them to the car, pulling the trolley of bags alongside him.

"So, where are we headed?" Dome asked.

"Airport?" Shea suggested.

"Hmm…" Aphrodite pondered. "It may be too risky. Zeus has unparalleled powers of detection, especially in the sky, which is his main source of power. We're still unsure which sides the Olympians will take, and as long as Athena is shielding us, it's best that we remain undetected. Remember, most of them still think I'm either missing or dead. Hera probably spouted off some story about how my misery finally led me to jumping from my balcony."

"So, no airport, then," Shea sighed. She then pulled out her new "android" and started typing as the bellboy tried to stuff the bags into the trunk of the car in a way that everything would fit. A few minutes later, she smiled satisfactorily and said, "There is a luxury ship to North Carolina heading out of Araxos tonight. It can transport all of us, and the car, and I've already paid for everything. I'm assuming you all have your passports." They all nodded in amazement. "Good, then. If we leave now, we can make it in more than enough time."

"So basically, you're telling me we're going to be driving all day with no stops," Tristan whined. Shea simply nodded, causing Tristan to sigh in exasperation. "Well, we'd better stop at the gas station and grab a full tank, plus a load of snacks and drinks."

They all hopped into the car and Dom drove to the gas station to fill up. Tristan and Shea decided they would be in charge of grabbing food and drinks. By the time the tank was full, they had already emerged from the little store with full arms. They dumped it all in the middle back seat and jumped back in the car. "Let's go," Tristan whooped.

Dom called back, "Just a minute," as he screwed the gas cap back into place. He then walked around the car and pulled open the back door, where Aphrodite was sitting. He leaned over her to unbuckle her seatbelt. She was perplexed as he grabbed her hand and eagerly yet gently pulled her from the car.

"What—," she began, and was cut off by a finger on her lips.

"You heard T. We're going to be driving all day, and I just can't wait that long to do this," he whispered as he cupped her face. Then, as if he had read her thoughts, he kissed her deeply. A fire started in her midsection and she melted into him, deepening the kiss even further. For the moment, it felt almost as though the two were melding into one being, and it felt more right than anything Aphrodite had ever experienced. Once again, it ended all too soon. Dom leaned down to the window of the passenger seat and said, "You. Scoot," to Tristan.

"Aw, come on, man! Why do I have to sit in back?" Tristan whined.

"I can't hold your hand. Besides, wouldn't you love to sit next to your pretty little lady?"

Tristan glanced at Shea and smirked. "Alright. But don't blame me if I get too cozy back there." He opened the door and got out, snickering. As soon as he sat down, he shoved the food and drinks onto the floor and pulled a giggling Shea over to him until she was practically sitting in his lap. Aphrodite and Dom got themselves situated in front. Dom started the engine, interlaced his fingers with hers, and kissed the back of her hand as he pulled out of the parking lot and sped down the long road out of Athens.


	24. Chapter 23

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.23**

It was a long day of driving, talking, laughing, and throwing food at each other before they arrived at the port in Araxos. They drove the car into the designated area and each pulled a bag of clothes out of the trunk for themselves before Dom threw the keys to an attendant. They then got in line to board the ship, which was larger than any Aphrodite had ever been on. Shea showed security the electronic boarding passes she had bought on her phone, and each of them was brought through the security scanners in turn. Their passports (which the girls had apparently had made by the right kind of criminal) were checked and given back, and their bags passed inspection. They were allowed to board, and were given a quick tour of the ship, which was more like a five-star hotel on water.

"How much did you pay to get us on this thing?" Tristan queried in amazement as he gazed around the grand lobby.

"You don't want to know," Shea replied, clearly impressed with herself.

They grabbed their keycards made their way to their rooms. They all had their own rooms, but Shea's was adjoined with Aphrodite's, and across the hall, Tristan's was adjoined with Dom's. They all quickly stuffed their bags into their own rooms and changed their clothes before meeting back up in the hallway and heading to the ship's restaurant for dinner.

They were shown to a table underneath the gorgeous crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling. The live orchestra played a slow, smooth ballad while the ship's inhabitants dined. They ordered champagne, salad, and lobster for dinner and chattered excitedly about the aesthetics and amenities that was clearly the reason this outdated form of travel was still fairly popular among the wealthy. Their food was brought to them on fine silver plates, and each was given an exquisite set of cutlery to eat with. Aphrodite thanked the waiter as he placed her steaming feast in front of her, by which time Tristan had already cracked open his lobster and proceeded to stuff his face. "Yup," he belched. "This is nice. How much is it gonna suck driving across the country and sleeping in tents after all this?"

"Tristan," Shea rebuked, "Please chew your food in a way that doesn't make the rest of us lose our appetite."

"Mmmm. But it's so good! I _have_ to eat it like a pig," he stated. Catching her look of admonition, he smirked, "Oh, don't look at me like that, you know I'm right. Better be careful, or I'll eat you, too," he winked.

At that, Shea's face went several shades of red, and she quickly looked down to her plate of food and stuffed a forkful of greens into her mouth.

Later that night, the girls were hanging out together on Shea's bed, scrolling through the movie rentals, trying to decide what they wanted to watch. "Should we go for something scary, something romantic, or something funny?" Shea asked.

Aphrodite's face pinched. "People purposefully watch things that they expect will scare them? What's the point in that?"

There was a knock on the door. As Shea was walking to the door to open it, she explained, "I think some people do it for the rush, the adrenaline. They like being scared. It excites them more than their real lives. Plus, I think some guys really just like that their girlfriends get all cuddly and vulnerable when they're anxious." She said this just as she opened the door to see Dom and Tristan standing there.

"Well," Tristan said, "nobody's forcing you to get all anxious and cuddly now, are they?"

"Hey, guys. What are you doing here?" Shea asked, a little embarrassed.

"We got a little bored and decided to come see what you two were up to. Not much better off than we were, I see. Care for some company?"

"Sure. Come on in." Shea held the door open and stepped sideways to let them pass.

They walked into the room and plopped down on the floor in front of the bed. "What are we watching, gals?" Tristan inquired.

"I'm thinking something scary," Dom said suggestively. "You know, nervous and cuddly sound pretty good to me."

Aphrodite playfully smacked him in the chest. "I think I have enough to be anxious about without adding on some imaginary ghouls. I say something funny. We could all use some humor to help us get through these next few weeks."

"I think we should go for The Princess Bride," Shea said. She clicked the enter button and approved the 24-hour rental before crawling over to where Tristan was sitting. He smirked and casually put his arm around her waist.

Aphrodite didn't really have much of a chance to pay attention to the movie. Dom had lifted her arm onto his lap and started to lightly trace lines and circles on the delicate skin of her wrist. It felt heavenly, and she found that even the simplest of his touches made it difficult for her to concentrate on anything else. Her body relaxed, and she started to drift in and out of consciousness by the time the movie ended. He stopped and gently nudged her when the credits started rolling. "Hey. Let's get you to bed." She nodded and got to her feet, waving good night to the others. Dom stayed by her side, one arm around her waist, and brought her to her room through the adjoining door. He pulled the blankets hallway down before helping her into bed. He bent down and kissed her forehead before turning to leave.

She caught his arm before he could take a step. "No, don't go," she said sleepily. "Stay."

"You sure?" He questioned.

She sat up and pulled him so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his face a mere three inches from hers. "Stay," she repeated, and closed the gap until her lips met his in a tender kiss that was both tentative and powerful. Releasing him, she slid over to give him room and allowed him to climb in next to her.

"As you wish," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her as she nodded off.


	25. Chapter 24

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.24**

A sharp knocking on the door awoke Shea in the morning. She rubbed her eyes, rolled out of bed, and drudged over to the door. Upon opening it, she saw the expression on Tristan's face and wondered, _how is he so good at looking both impatient and bored at the same time?_

"Someone steal your Lucky Charms?" She teased.

"Funny," he replied. "Have you seen Dom? He wasn't in his room this morning when I went to go bother him. They better not have dipped out on us to go to breakfast."

"Umm, I didn't hear her get up this morning… Come to think of it, did you hear Dom leave her room last night to go to his own room?"

Tristan's expression changed to a wicked grin. "That sly dog. He spent the night."

"I'm sure it wasn't like that. They've barely even kissed before."

"We've barely even kissed before. Does that mean I can spend the night?" He asked, his grin getting even wider.

Shea blushed. "I… I mean… I've never…" She stammered.

His eyes widened. "Really? I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm not trying to push you into something like that, I promise."

"It's okay. I mean, I've never really been with anybody. I haven't had the opportunity. Before I met Ally, I was just a fish out of water. The way I looked made people afraid of me."

"So.. no mermen, then?"

"No. I've always been too preoccupied with humans. They fascinate me. Plus, there are the mer-people that my father created, and then there are the mer-people he… _created,_ " she emphasized.

"Ah," Tristan replied. "And you don't want to end up sleeping with a brother or nephew."

Shea shrugged, "Not my bit." Tristan got a good laugh from that. "But we should really go check on Dom and Ally."

Tristan grinned again. "Yeah. Just to make sure they're safe, right?"

"Right," she grinned back and wiggled her eyebrows.

They snuck over to the door that adjoined the two rooms and quietly opened it. Inside, they saw their friends, still in the clothes they'd worn the previous night. It was obvious that nothing had really happened, and the glace they shared next told them they were thinking the same thing. Shea pointed to the bed as if to say, _wakeup call?_

Tristan nodded, and together they pounced on top of the sleeping couple, shocking them awake. They sat up quickly and looked around, their eyes still half-sealed shut with sleep.

"Morning!" Shea giggled.

"Dude," Dom said to Tristan, "I nearly just punched you in the face."

Aphrodite groaned and knocked Shea off the bed pulling the blanket back up around her face. "I hate you guys so much right now."

Shea laughed as she got up off the floor. "You're really getting the whole 'modern language' thing down."

"What can I say?" She replied, crawling out of the bed, "I'm a fast learner."

"Sorry to break up your sexy time," Tristan quipped, "but I'm hungry. Get dressed, let's go stuff our faces."

Simultaneously, the girls whined, "Ughhh, but I need a shower," then giggled at themselves.

"I'd ask to join if I weren't so damn hungry. Shower later," Tristan griped back, tugging on Shea's pajama sleeve.

Shea suggestively purred, "My answer to both is, 'Only if you promise to help me get very, very clean.'" She stared up at Tristan with big, bright eyes, mustering the best sensual expression she could manage. All jaws dropped.

"Cross my heart," was all he could think to respond.

Dom leaned over and murmured, "And here I thought we were the ones acting all 'get-a-room-ish.'"

"And _I_ thought _she_ was supposed to be a virgin," Tristan sputtered.

"And _I_ thought _you guys_ could take a joke," Shea rolled her eyes. "Besides, virgins can act sexy, too. And it's not like I plan on being one forever," she added suggestively, running her hand along Tristan's chest as she walked back to the adjoining door. She slipped back into her room to get dressed, the rest of the group staring after her in disbelief.

During breakfast, the business manager came to personally thank his VIPs, who had paid for an all-inclusive package. They all stared at Shea, who shrugged as if to say it was no big deal. "May I interest any of you in our luxury spa day? It includes a full-body massage, a mani-pedi, a facial, and a nice steam room."

"I could definitely go for a massage, but the rest of that sound completely unnecessary to me," Dom responded.

"You may pick which treatments you do or do not desire to have today."

"Well, I could go for a massage, too," Aphrodite replied. "Shall we go together?"

"Tandem massage for the lovely couple, then," the manager offered.

Dom nodded, "I'd be good with that."

"And another tandem couple's massage for you, as well?" the manager asked, looking to Shea and Tristan. They exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.

"No, thank you," Shea said politely.

"Very well. If you need anything on the duration of your trip, please do not hesitate to ask. Just call the lobby and ask to speak to me, Vincent Portello," He finished as he bowed and backed himself away from the table.


	26. Chapter 25

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.25**

The group finished their breakfast and got up from the table. "We'll meet back up at the rooms later. What else is there to do on a ship for the next few days?" Aphrodite pondered. "It's not like we can really get any kind of head start on training. May as well relax while we can." They all nodded and went their separate ways.

When Tristan and Shea reached their doors, she asked him, "What are you thinking of doing today?"

Tristan shrugged, "Ehh, just hanging around, I guess. You?"

"I as thinking of taking a shower now. Beyond that, I haven't really planned anything," she said. He nodded and pulled his keycard from his pocket. He had half-turned to put it into his door when she managed to stammer, "Would you, umm.. would you.. like to come in? Maybe… join me?" Her face burned and she turned her eyes to the floor as he froze in place.

A moment passed before Tristan could compose himself. "Is that what _you_ want, or is that what you think _I_ want?"

Shea took a deep breath to steady herself and looked him in the eye. "I do want it. Maybe not everything all at once, but maybe we could try some things.. Maybe.. you could teach me some things?"

"If that's something you want from me, then of course. But I want you to be sure." He reached over to her and cupped her face tenderly. "Are you sure?"

She placed a hand over his heart and said, "Yes, please."

He let out a small chuckle. "You know, you don't have to be so polite about it," he said quietly, then kissed her. "But I love how sweet you are."

Still kissing him, she pulled out her keycard, slid it into the lock, and allowed him to open the door and guide her backwards over the threshold.

As soon as he'd closed the door, though, he paused. "Wait a sec. Couple questions."

Shea let out a nervous laugh. "Umm, okay. What?"

"First off, you know that when you're with me in private, you don't need to keep up the normal human façade, right? I'm not afraid of how you look. In fact, I love feeling like you know you can be yourself with me. I think you're beautiful."

Shea smiled appreciatively. "Thank you." She allowed the transformation melt away. Her hair turned back to the shade of coral, her irises back into the shape of nautical stars, her skin luminescent and shimmering. Tristan, once again, lost his breath, and for a moment couldn't respond when she asked, "What's the other thing?"

He scratched his head for a moment as if he'd forgotten, and then suddenly remembered, "Oh. What happens when you get in water? Do you just change back into a mermaid, with a tail and all, or can you control that?"

"Huh," she said. "I never really thought about it. I've never tried. But I suppose I might be able to control it. It's possible that if I'm not fully submerged in water, my body won't need to change."

"Maybe you should try. I mean, you're in a world full of humans now, people who've never seen a real mermaid and might panic if they, say, accidentally spill a glass of water on you, causing you to grow a tail in the middle of dinner?"

"You're right. I didn't think about it. I've never been this involved with people, personally. Just don't get all grossed out if it doesn't work and I change, okay?"

"If I thought that I would get grossed out, why would I have agreed to come in in the first place?"

"Right," Shea replied. "Duh." Tristan guffawed and pulled her back into him, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his waist. With one hand he held her, with the other he grabbed towels as he carried her into the bathroom, kissing her the whole way.

Tristan hung towels as Shea started the water. She started to unzip her dress, but her fingers were shaking so much that she couldn't keep her grip on the small zipper. Noticing this, Tristan asked again, "Are you sure you want this?"

She nodded. "Just nervous," she mumbled. "Can't get this damn zipper…"

"Need some help?"

When she let her arms drop and nodded, Tristan stepped up behind her. Gently, he slid his hands up her arms, across her shoulders, and down to her dress. As soon as he had the zipper undone, the dress slid to the floor. She turned and timidly thanked him before removing her undergarments and stepping into the water.

As soon as the water hit her, she felt the tingling sensation in her legs that told her she was beginning to change. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard, willing her body not to transform, praying silently that she could control this part of herself. She waited for the tingling to stop before opening her eyes and looking down. To her amazement, her bare legs were still there. She hadn't changed. "I did it!" Shea exclaimed, smiling at Tristan, who was waiting patiently. "Umm, come in."

Tristan eagerly removed his clothes and stepped into the bathtub to join her.

LOVE SCENE OMITTED

(If you are over 16 and think you can handle it, you can message a request for it.)


	27. Chapter 26

**Beauty Divine. Pain Be Thine CH.26**

As Aphrodite and Dom lay on massage beds next to one another, enjoying their relaxing treatments, Dom asked, "So what do you think those two went off to do? What could they possibly be doing that would beat this? I'm so relaxed."

Aphrodite giggled. She had gotten a very clear vibe from both Shea and Tristan. She was very in tune with that sort of thing, being a goddess of love. From Tristan she felt a strong yearning. Shea's was more tentative, but it was definitely there. "I can take a gander," she replied suggestively.

Dom was floored. "No way!" He exclaimed. "I mean.. already? They only met barely over a week ago."

Aphrodite shrugged, which was made difficult by the masseuse kneading her shoulders. "They've been giving off vibes since they met, and they're only getting stronger. And being that he's the only man in Shea's life thus far who has shown interest in her for who she really is, I can't say I'm surprised. Showing him who she really is only seems to have made him more attentive toward her. Besides, she's… much older than the two of you. Being isolated for so long from that kind of affection takes its toll. They're both adults, it's not as if we can expect them to have a long courtship before taking that step. If they were teenagers going through a hormonal shift, that would be another thing entirely. But we also are not their parents."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Can you feel their 'vibes' right now?"

"Yes, but I'd rather not talk about it," Aphrodite felt her cheeks get hot. Sometimes her affinity made her feel much too intrusive. "If they want to tell us about their business, that's up to them." What she didn't say was that she could feel the tension between the two of them building, peaking, and starting to dissipate.

"Figured as much. Look, for what it's worth, I really think Tristan is serious about her. I've never seen him like this with any other woman."

"I'm glad," Aphrodite said, pulling the sheet around herself and sitting up as the masseuse finished up. The therapists then left the room to allow Aphrodite and Dom privacy to dress themselves. There was a bathroom attached to the treatment room, so Aphrodite slipped in and closed the door.

Dom continued talking through the door as they clothed themselves, "So, when you say Shea's 'older'...? She doesn't age like a normal person, does she?"

"No," Aphrodite responded. "Demigods live quite a bit longer than normal human beings, and the majority of that time, they age very slowly. They can live hundreds of years and look like they're in their 20's and 30's for most of those. I've never asked for her precise age, but I'm guessing Shea is at least 120 years old, judging by the fact that she looks to be about 21." She heard Dom let out his breath in a whistle. Zipping up her sundress, she opened the bathroom door. "Hey. I'm no child myself, remember?"

"Right," he responded. "You're like, the worst kind of cougar out there." At her confused look, he laughed. "A cougar is the new slang for an older woman who likes to sleep with young men."

Aphrodite scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, in fairness, the only people around my age are all Olympians. You see where that's gotten me so far." She tried to walk past him, but he caught her and gently folded his arms around her waist.

"I'm teasing. Besides, I'm very happy with your choice in men," He murmured in her ear. "Specifically me." He tilted his head to look in her eyes, and then placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Come on. Let's go out on to the deck and get some fresh air."

They left the spa area and strolled leisurely out onto the deck, which seemed fairly deserted. The sun was shining. There were no clouds to be seen, but a soft, cool breeze blew off of the still ocean, keeping the platform at a bearable temperature. The air smelt of fresh seawater. Aphrodite felt more relaxed than she had in a long while, even more so than she had in this past week with Dom. That was saying something. She approached the railing and leant on her arms. As Dom came up behind her, she watched the water below lapping against the ship in small waves. She turned back towards him as his hands slid back around her waist. "Maybe this is foolish. Maybe I should just stay here, with all of you. Maybe I could live here and just forget about Olympus."

Dom looked at her in surprise. "That's crazy, and you know it. You would be on the run forever, hiding. You would never have your freedom from Hera, or your husband. Olympus is your home, and you deserve to be able to come and go as you please. Besides, what would you do once I was gone, and Tristan, and Shea? We are all eventually going to die. I would be lucky to spend a long life with you, but I'm still mortal. A long life to me is like the blink of an eye to you. I promise to be with you as long as you'll have me, but we can't live for the next 60 years hiding out, fearing for our lives. I know you can do this. You can win and take back your life, and then we can live together however you want."

She knew he was right. She couldn't bring herself to speak; instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like her life depended on it.


	28. Chapter 27

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.27**

After what felt only like a few moments, Aphrodite heard a quiet, "Ahem." She and Dom broke apart to look at the couple who had walked out onto the deck to find them lip-locked. The middle-aged man seemed flabbergasted; his much younger wife simply averted her eyes and tried to pretend she was focusing on something else. Aphrodite and Dom simply murmured apologies and scampered back inside.

"Should we go back to the rooms and check on Tristan and Shea? It's getting close to meal-time again," Dom asked as nonchalantly as he could. Aphrodite knew he was dying of curiosity, though.

She sighed. "I suppose so. But don't embarrass them," she chided. "Whatever is going on between them is their own prerogative."

"Yes, ma'am," Dom teased. He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. They spent the rest of the walk back in a comfortable silence.

Shea and Tristan awoke to a gentle rapping on the door. Tristan bolted upright and grabbed a housecoat from a rack near the bed. He rolled his eyes as he heard Dom's voice doing a poor impersonation of a woman from the other side of the door as he called out, "Housekeeping." He threw the other housecoat to Shea, who was sitting up wide-eyed. She looked as if she's just been caught in the act of committing some heinous crime.

"It's okay," Tristan said, leaning over to kiss her. "They're not going to burn you at the stake. If it will make you feel better, I'll hide in the closet."

Shea sighed. "No. They probably already know. We are here with Aphrodite. This is kind of her specialty. Besides, I'm okay with them knowing about us. I like this; us." She gave a shy smile.

"Me, too," Tristan smirked, traipsing over to the door and opening it. "We don't want what you're selling," he quipped at Dom.

Dom shrugged. "I just thought you might need some clean sheets," he chuckled, nudging his friend.

Aphrodite clicked her tongue and smacked Dom playfully on the arm. "Don't be vile," she said, moving past the young men over to her friend. Throwing her arm around Shea's shoulder, she asked, "How are you feeling?" in a voice filled with motherly concern and tenderness.

Shea smiled up at her. "I'm good. How about you?"

"Wonderful. Those massage treatments are just fantastic. When I last visited the mortal world, it was the height of impropriety to be nude in front of someone other than your spouse. And that kind of touching outside of marriage was absolute scandal. Women have been hanged for less. I've decided I like these modern times much, much more."

"I thought you'd like that," Shea giggled. "I'm also much more inclined to modern times. Except for all the plastic and pollution. People always know just the right ways to make positive things take a turn for the worst."

"Yes," Aphrodite agreed, "But immortals do, too. We all suffer from our own personal emotions. They're called the seven deadly sins for a reason."

The boys watched this exchange silently for a moment, suddenly feeling very young. Dom broke the silence with a, "Pssht. Look at you two; shameless sinners. Put some clothes on and come downstairs for lunch immediately." He said it in a teasing, fatherly manner, but it seemed to make both Shea and Tristan suddenly conscious of the fact that they were nude aside from their robes. Shea's face went several shades of red as she dashed off to the bathroom.

Tristan made a popping sound with his lips. "Right. We'll meet you out there in a few minutes," he said, shooing Aphrodite and a snickering Dom out the door.


	29. Chapter 28

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.28**

The fourth night on the ship. It would be the last before they began their long drive through America. Aphrodite was excited to see just how much it had progressed, but nervous about the long road ahead of her. It would be weeks, maybe more, before she could attempt to return to her home. She had much work to do in order to prepare for a battle with her step-mother. She knew there would be no turning back once she challenged Hera. She would either win, or she would die. As much as she loved this world, Olympus was where she belonged, and she couldn't bear the thought of living in disgrace, banished from her home, her family. She felt cold, as if her death could be very near. She wondered, _is this how human beings feel about their own mortality?_ It was a terrible feeling, and guilt and pity left a hollow pit in her stomach. She had been tossing and turning for two hours, trying desperately to rest, but she found she couldn't.

Aphrodite slipped out of her bed and slid into the complementary slippers that came with the room. She opened her door and crept across the hallway, gently knocking on Dom's door. A few moments passed, and she was nearly ready to turn around and go back to her room when the door opened. A shirtless, half-asleep Dom appeared in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Ally?" He yawned, "It's 1:00 in the morning. Is everything okay?"

"Sorry," she whispered. "I couldn't sleep.. I was just wondering.. well, umm, never mind.."

"No, it's okay. Come in. You can come to me whenever you need anything," Dom responded, taking her hand and leading her into his room as he shut the door. He drew her into his arms. "What's up?"

"Realizing that not knowing when I could die is terrifying, and finally accepting that I really could, and it could be soon… I have lived for thousands of years, but I still feel like I haven't really lived enough. Right now, I feel so.. human."

She felt Dom shrug. "You know, that may not be such a bad thing. Getting in touch with your human side, your vulnerability, it might help you get back to being that loving, compassionate, patient woman that we all know is in there. I have a feeling that this group of people here with you are some of the very few who've seen that version of you in a very long time. Your sister was right. Being here, training, facing your fears, and fighting for yourself may be exactly what you need to beat Hera. You're the Goddess of love and beauty. Real beauty comes from being in touch with all of those feelings that human beings experience, and using them to guide you through your life. You need to use them not just as a weapon, but also as a shield. Lashing out leaves you open to more injury, not less. Let yourself feel something other than anger."

Aphrodite smirked, "You're very wise for someone so young. Something tells me that you and your friend have both been through very much." She looked up and saw the expression on Dom's face, which could only be described as an almost haunted look. Her smile faded and she stroked his face.

Dom closed his eyes and nuzzled her hand, kissing her palm. "We both grew up in a flawed system of foster homes. I was orphaned at 3, when my parents died in an accident. Tristan was taken from abusive alcoholic parents when he was 6. We both bounced around from home to home. Each one seemed worse than the last, and the older we got the more damaged we were; less likely to be adopted. We finally met in a group home as teenagers. He was 16, I was 17. We were instant friends. We came up with this plan together; get emancipated, get a place together, find ourselves part time jobs while we finished school, and then do whatever the hell we wanted to do with our lives. Before we could do that, though, this lady, Jess, came in to find some kids to foster. We figured she'd look for some younger kids, someone more adoptable. But she picked us. Both of us. She brought us home and treated us like we were really family. She adopted us both just a couple of months before I turned 18, and let us live there while we finished school. Hell, she even put us through college. She was the mom we'd always dreamed of. Anyways, she died a few months ago, and she left us everything she had. I remembered the way she used to talk about Athens, like it was the most wonderful place on Earth. So we decided to travel the world. Athens first, and then wherever fate took us. And it looks like fate brought us you."

The hollow pit in Aphrodite's gut filled with butterflies. The pull she felt towards Dom was stronger than ever. "I think you're right," she said, and kissed him.

Aphrodite slept peacefully that night, safely enfolded in Dom's arms.


	30. Chapter 29

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.29**

They were awoken at 5:00 in the morning. At least, it was in North Carolina where they had docked, meaning it was around noon in Athens. They had slept for nearly 10 hours. Aphrodite quickly went to her room to shower, change, and pack her things before meeting the others in the hall. A trolley was brought to bring their small bags of clothing and toiletries down to the docks for them, and they were invited to enjoy one last breakfast before they disembarked. They all ate slowly, savouring wat was sure to be their last meal in a five-star restaurant for a while.

Dom's car was being moved out onto the docks as they finished clearing American customs. They grabbed their bags and loaded them into the trunk. Looking at the map on her phone, Shea chirped up, "Alright. So to get to Los Angeles by car, it's about a 40-hour drive. So, if we factor in rest stops, we'll make it there in about 4 days if we go from 7 AM to 7 PM every day. We'll do breakfast before we leave every morning, and dinner at night wherever we decide to stop. Lunch will have to be during a midday pit stop. Since Dom and Tristan are the only ones capable of driving, you guys should decide how to split it up to make it easier."

"I'm definitely not up for driving at 7 AM," Tristan scoffed.

"Fine. I'll take morning shift, you drive after 1 PM," Dom offered.

"Sounds good to me."

"It's 6:50 now. We should gas up the car and go," Shea said with an air of authority. "We should also bring gas cans just in case."

Everyone nodded their assent and got in the car. Dom took the driver's seat, this time allowing Tristan to sit in the front passenger seat while the girls rode in back so they could talk.

Around 12:30, they made a pit stop, grabbed themselves a quick lunch from a diner, used the facilities, and filled the car's gas tank. Tristan then took over driving duties. He was slightly less cautious on the road than his adopted brother. Music and talking eased the long hours of driving only so much, and the day drudged on ever so slowly.

Just before 7, Tristan pulled into a camp site saying, "I don't think we're gonna find anyplace better to spend the night. And look, they even have a little store on the grounds. Dom and I will set up the tents if you ladies would be so kind as to find dinner."

"Thank heavens!" Aphrodite cried, her muscles sore from sitting in one place for so long. She got out of the car as quickly as she could and stretched like a cat waking from a long nap. She grabbed Shea's hands and they nearly skipped to the store together. They grabbed everything they needed to make themselves some hot dogs over the fire. Shea exchanged quick pleasantries with the lady at the till as she dropped cash on the counter, then the girls smiled, thanked her, and went on their way. Chattering excitedly, they walked back to where the young men were setting up the tents. While Dom and Tristan finished, Aphrodite and Shea threw 2 logs and some dry grass and twigs into the small grill provided at each site and started cooking the wieners.

After dinner, Tristan boldly asked, "So who's sleeping where?"

Shea blushed and looked to Aphrodite, who replied, "Well, I've been restless, and it seems the only time I've had a good night's sleep lately is when I'm with Dom. I mean.. if that's okay?" She inquired.

Shea blushed a deeper shade of red and nodded with a timid smile. Both boys seemed perfectly content with that decision and got up to set up the sleeping mats and blankets.

"Have a good night," Aphrodite waved as she stood to join Dom in their tent.

"See you in the morning," Shea responded, following Tristan.

Aphrodite stepped into the tent and zipped the little door flap closed. Slipping her shoes off, she grabbed a blanket and pillow and helped Dom set up their makeshift bed.

"So," he said quietly, "I'm the only thing that helps you sleep, huh?"

Aphrodite playfully smacked him with her pillow. "Hush, you. But yes. Lately, you calm my thoughts and dreams. I don't know how to describe the effect you have on me. It's unlike anything I've ever felt."

"Like an invisible rope is pulling us together? Like it's just right when we're close?"

"Yes, exactly," she said, somewhat surprised by how aptly he had described the way she felt.

"I get that. Weirdly enough, I've felt it from the moment we met. Something draws me to you."

"But it's not just physical desire. It's deeper than that. Something in my entire being; my core, my soul."

"Like I said. From the moment I met you. Like it was fate," he chuckled.

"Fate…" she repeated, dazed. Then, absentmindedly she blurted, "I think I love you."

He grinned, pulling her towards him and down onto the sleeping mats. He stroked her hair and whispered, "I think I love you, too," before wrapping her in his arms and sweetly kissing her.


	31. Chapter 30

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.30**

The next morning, Aphrodite sat in front with Dom, their hands entwined. With her other hand, she fiddled with the iPod connected to the car's stereo. Modern music was unlike anything she'd heard, and it delighted her to sit and listen to all the new genres that had been created in her long absence. She was impressed with how fast new technologies had been invented in the last 30 years alone. Everything one needed aside from food and shelter could be found in tiny devices. She liked movies, and she was beginning to get accustomed to this music. The drive was long, but she didn't mind. Most of the time they spent in the car was spent talking to one another. They talked about their lives, their interests, things they loved, and things they disliked. Travelling across the world had bonded them.

"So," Shea said, leaning over the front seats and turning down the radio. "What do you think it will be like, training with this guy once we get to LA?"

"Yeah. Do you think this guy's gonna be a wise and patient sensei type, or do you think he's gonna be a total hard-ass?" Tristan chimed in.

Aphrodite pondered this. "I don't know, but he's going to have a lot to teach me in a short time. This is going to be difficult. You guys don't need to do this with me, you know. It's perfectly fine if you want to lounge on the beach or something."

Dom squeezed her hand. "Thanks, but I think I speak for all of us when I say we want to be there with you, supporting you. You may have to battle Hera alone, but that doesn't mean you have to do all of this by yourself."

Shea reached over and squeezed Aphrodite's shoulder gently. "I'm with Dom."

"Ditto," Tristan smirked. "We've got your back. We'll get you on your way to bringing that bitch down."

Aphrodite smiled. "Thank you all."

The town they stopped in that night had a small inn with a diner on the main floor. They checked themselves in and went to grab some dinner. Aphrodite was so excited when she saw that they had fresh cherries on the menu, she ordered enough for everybody. "In ancient Greek civilization, fresh cherries were a delicacy. The only people who could afford to eat them were successful merchants and those in senate. I've always loved cherries, I'm glad they're fairly inexpensive now. People everywhere can enjoy them."

The waitress brought them each a bowl of 14 cherries to start, and then took their order for a meal. Aphrodite stuffed herself with barbequed chicken breast and Caesar salad. She even had a taste of the cheeseburger Shea ordered. The food here was positively delicious.

"So, do gods actually need food? Like would you starve to death without it?" Tristan inquired.

"No, but we do get rather gaunt and weak if we don't eat. It's not a pretty sight. Under punishment, some have been starved to the point of desiccation. But we do get back to normal once we start eating again."

Shea interrupted with a blunt, "Don't go into detail, please. Trying to eat, here."

Aphrodite chortled an apology.

Changing the subject, Dom cleared his throat and said, "So, once we get where we're going, how do we find this Kyboclus guy? And if he's a demigod, how is he still alive?"

"We don't find him," Aphrodite responded. "Once we're in the city, we should be close enough for him to sense us. Athena will not shield us from him. She trusts him, and so we must trust that he will find us.

He's been alive for thousands of years, it is true. Not quite as long as the gods have, obviously. He was rewarded with eternal life and youth by Zeus, for his service to the gods. Training heroes is a sacred duty."

"He can do that?" Tristan asked in amazement.

"He's the king of Olympus; the ruler of the gods. He created human beings. Of course he can."


	32. Chapter 31

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine Ch.31**

The sun beat down on the group as they walked along the rocky pathway to El Matador beach in Los Angeles. The day was hot and humid, with nearly no breeze. Aphrodite felt the moisture in the air making her clothes stick to her skin, but she had to admit, the rock formations and waves lapping on the sand was an amazing sight. "I've never been here, in all my years. This place in so beautiful," she sighed contentedly, as they found a small, secluded alcove and set up a picnic lunch.

"Yes," Shea agreed, "This has always been one of my favorite beaches to come to. Not too crowded, but so lovely."

Tristan smirked and pulled Shea on to his lap on the beach blanket. "Just secluded enough for you to grow some legs and hang out without being seen." Shea glowered. "What? You know that most people would have panicked at your appearance, or worse. Some people would have attacked you, or experimented on you. Luckily, now that Ally here has helped you out, you can go out and blend without sending people into a tizzy. I think you're beautiful, no matter what you look like. But regular people just aren't prepared for that. I wasn't trying to be offensive." He kissed her on the cheek apologetically, and the stiffness and annoyance melted away from her face.

They dug in to their lunch and chattered happily, until a young man approached them. He wore a thin black tank top and cut off jeans with sandals. His gray eyes studied them for a moment before he nodded to Aphrodite in acknowledgment. "My lady," he said, his voice deep and smooth, with just a hint of a hard edge. "I have been expecting you."

Aphrodite stood, followed by her friends. "Kyboclus. Thank you for coming."

"You may call me Ky, dear Goddess," he responded with a small smile. Then, he glanced at the other three. "Will your friends be joining you, Highness?"

"Yes, please, Ky," Aphrodite said, then added, "And there is no need for formalities with me. I am here as your student. My alias here is Aleazia, or Ally. In public, you may call me by one of those names. In private, you may choose whichever name you'd prefer. You needn't call me 'Goddess' or 'Highness'."

"As you wish, my- Aleazia. If you would follow me," he said politely, turning back the way he'd came.

Aphrodite led her friends after Kyboclus. He brought them to a cliff face, where he placed his hand on one of the rocks and muttered something quietly. A moment passed before the cliff rumbled and a hidden tunnel opened up. As soon as they were all inside, the doorway closed behind them. Aphrodite half expected it to be pitch black, but the inside of these tunnels was just as bright as the day outside. _Of course_ , she realized. _This place has been created by the gods to hide and protect the heroes that are trained here._

The tunnel became steeper, and they moved steadily down for nearly half a mile before the tunnel let out into a huge underground cave. Rooms had been carved into the rock. There were sleeping quarters, a kitchen and dining area, and a massive training area. A few demigods were crowded around a ring, watching two more spar on a large mat. Ky looked to Aphrodite and said, "They do not know who you are. The safest option is to maintain this assumed persona here."

"Yes," Aphrodite responded. "Hera has spies everywhere. I have no doubts that she would pay very generously for information about me."

Ky nodded. "I will show you to your quarters. I ask that you each sleep separate, as to focus on your training. That being said, I give half of Saturday and the entirety of Sunday to all of my students for rest and relaxation. You may do as you wish during that time. I have had all of your belongings brought to your rooms already, and the car you travelled in has been parked in another section of underground caves. It will be safe." He halted at a cluster of sleeping quarters. "These four are yours. I will let you settle in for the night, and you will begin your training tomorrow. You may come to the training area to watch until dinner, if you'd like."

They all muttered their thanks and entered their rooms to put away their things.


	33. Chapter 32

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine Ch.32**

After unpacking her belongings, Aphrodite rejoined the others and headed to the mats where they'd seen the young Demigods sparring. There were two girls on the mat now, the other intently studying how they moved. One girl looked to be about 17. She was short and thin, but she used that to her advantage. She darted around her opponent, dodging each attack and moving in to strike the weaker spots left unguarded. The other seemed to be in her mid-twenties. She was taller, wide, and muscular. She was struggling, trying to keep up with the smaller girl's pace while maintaining her guard.

Kyboclus was watching from the sideline, shouting commands. "Yes, Chloe. Good. Amaya, you must work on your agility. Relying on brute strength will do you no good. Use your head. Anticipate her next move, and get there before she does." Amaya did so, blocking a kidney shot just in time, and using her other arm to land a shot square into Chloe's jaw, causing her to stagger. "Chloe, don't forget to guard yourself. Use your opponent's strength and force against her." Chloe straightened herself just as Amaya lunged. She moved her body just enough to dodge the attack , using her leg to trip Amaya, who flew face-first into the mat. "Good. Excellent progress, ladies. You're done for the day. Thank you, everyone. You may use the punching bags and sparring mannequins to practice your technique until dinner."

Everyone dispersed to work individually, and Ky walked over to them. "So, what do you think?"

"I'm not the expert," Aphrodite chuckled. "But you seem quite suited to this work, Ky. I can't wait to start."

Ky snorted, "You may regret saying that tomorrow. I will not go easy on you. You must not only learn to fight well, but you must also learn quickly. You do not have years to master your skills like these others. Tomorrow, we will begin with basic defense. You cannot learn to fight without first knowing how to protect yourself. For now, please feel free to walk around and watch the others."

Aphrodite nodded, walking towards the girls she'd just watched on the mat, followed closely by her friends. The girl named Chloe looked up as they approached. She eyed them warily before going back to punching and kicking the silicone man in front of her. Aphrodite could tell just by looking at her that she was using multiple different fighting styles, but she did so with such grace and speed that they blended together seamlessly. Her short, black pixie cut kept her hair out of her house as she twirled around like a deadly dancer.

After a while, the group moved on to watch Amaya. She was working hard to improve her speed, practicing ducking and punching as quickly as she could. Her technique was flawless, but she lacked the speed of the smaller girl.

They worked their way around the room. There was a young, teenaged boy with a mean- looking face. He got flustered easily when he missed his intended target area, or when he messed up a combination. His accuracy and hand-eye coordination needed a lot of work. So did his emotional control, it seemed. Ky came over to work with him, and Aphrodite's group moved on. In total, there were 7 demigods here; 3 girls, and 4 boys. Each was unique in their demeanor and fighting style. Kyboclus structured his teaching technique around each individual's strengths and weaknesses.

When dinner time came, they fell in line with the others and picked up their trays of food. When they sat down at a table, they began to chatter excitedly about what they'd seen, and how excited they were to begin the next day. Aphrodite looked over and noticed Chloe sitting alone, staring at them. She gave her a smile and waved her hand to invite her to join them. Chloe looked around as if she thought Aphrodite were beckoning someone behind her, then decided she had indeed been waved over. She slowly got up, walked over, and sat. She was completely different when she wasn't fighting. Somehow she was more shy and socially awkward.

"Hello," Aphrodite greeted. "I'm Ally. This is Shea, Dom, and Tristan."

"Chloe," she responded, very quietly. "I'm one of Zeus's illegitimate daughters."

"Me, too," Aphrodite giggled.

"Did you hear?" Chloe asked.

"Hear what?" Aphrodite inquired.

"Something big went down on Olympus. Aphrodite went missing. Nobody has seen or heard from her in a couple weeks. Nobody knows what's going on, but Hera is offering a huge reward for anyone who gives her information. I think maybe that wicked witch finally snapped, and now she's a fugitive."

Aphrodite shifted uncomfortably in her seat and tried to give her most convincing titter. "No, I hadn't heard a thing about it."

"From what I hear, Aphrodite is a witch, anyways. She's mean-spirited and her temper is something awful."

Aphrodite looked down at her hands, ashamed. She couldn't blame them for thinking of her this way; she had been exactly as described for so many years.

Dom spoke up with, "Maybe we shouldn't believe all the rumors we hear. Maybe there's a good reason for everything happening. We shouldn't judge until we get the whole story."

Chloe shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right. No skin off my back, what happens up on Olympus."

Aphrodite gave Dom an appreciative smile.


	34. Chapter 33

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine Ch.33**

After dinner, the group dispersed. Some went back to their training, and some took the time to read theory. Others decided to take the rest of the night off to enjoy themselves. Dom, Tristan, and Shea all headed off in different directions to keep exploring. After dinner, it was completely optional. Aphrodite walked over to Kyboclus. "You have some very dedicated students, Ky. I'm impressed. They're all doing very well."

Ky spoke quietly so that he wouldn't attract attention. "Some have been here for years. They've yet to discover their destined path, and until they do, most stay to train. Demigods should always be prepared for whatever The Fates may throw at them. I'm sure you know this, seeing as you yourself have given many Demigods important and dangerous tasks to complete."

Aphrodite nodded. "Hera has apparently handed down one such task recently. I must keep my head down and blend in with these young ones. I have yet to discover who among my family I can count as an ally, and who among them is an enemy. May I read one of your books on fighting techniques?"

Ky inclined his head in aquiescence and spoke louder. "Of course, Miss Aleazia. You will find the books in the case on the far wall in the training room. Best of luck in your studies." He placed his hand on her shoulder gently for a moment, then turned on his heels and walked into his private quarters.

Aphrodite was slightly confused by his touch, but she shrugged it off and headed back to the training room to grab a book. Before she could reach the bookshelf, though, she was pulled into a damp, natural crevice within the huge cave. Before she could cry out, a hand reached clamped over her mouth. "Shh," came a whisper. She recognised the voice as Dom's and practically fainted in her relief. He let her go as her body tension eased."

"What are you doing?" She questioned.

"I wanted to talk to you somewhere away from prying eyes and listening ears. I don't know if I'm comfortable with all of us being here. We have no idea who here is spying for Hera. All of these Demigods are a potential threat. Not to mention, our differences are going to come to light, eventually. Tristan and I are human. Shea and these other Demigods are immensely stronger than us. And you are a goddess. You're stronger than anyone here. Someone is going to notice."

Aphrodite thought about that for a moment. "Good point. We're all much newer than any of these Demigods here, though. These halflings will not think anything is amiss if we all train together, or if Kyboclus spends more of his time and attention on us. You will train with Tristan, and Shea and I will train with each other and Ky. I can hold back on the power I use in my strikes while I am learning technique with Shea, but Ky has been made immortal. He's old, and very powerful; nearly as strong as any god." She heard an audible sigh and smiled a little. "It's so sweet that you worry about me, though," she giggled, finding his hand in the dark. She gently tugged him towards her and kissed him. "And thank you for defending me at dinner."

"Of course. I will always stick up for you," Dom said, initiating another kiss.

"We should get back before we are missed," Aphrodite whispered.

"Meet me back here after everyone goes to bed?"

"Yes," Aphrodite responded, quietly slipping out of the crevice. She crossed to the book shelf and grabbed a book on the techniques of different Martial Arts styles. Sitting on a bench, she read until it was time for everyone to head to their sleeping quarters.

Aphrodite sat in her bed and waited until she was sure everyone was dozing off, and then headed to the fairly large crevice to meet Dom. It was much too small to be used as any kind of functional room, but could comfortably fit five people in a standing position. She didn't dare bring any light, so she felt along the walls, exploring the crevice until she heard light footsteps approaching.

"Ally?" Came a whisper.

"Yes," She responded, and felt Dom's strong hands wrap around her. She melted into his arms, kissing him deeply. He clutched her hips and backed her up against the wall, winding her legs around his. They spent an hour there, blissfully kissing and caressing one another.


	35. Chapter 34

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH. 34**

Aphrodite woke in the morning feeling refreshed and happy. She grabbed some of the training clothes that she'd been given and quickly got dressed. She tied her hair up in a messy bun and joined the others in the training room for their morning orientation.

Ky stood in the middle of the mat, and his students all stood facing him on the stone floor. "Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning, sir." The response was automatic, the students in perfect unison.

"First thing. As you know, Briana was given a mission by the Gods. She was to find and destroy the creature that was causing many disappearances in Chicago. Unfortunately, she did not make it." There was surprised murmuring around the room. "I am sorry. I know you all enjoyed her company very much. It is a loss we all take to heart. It was not in vain, though. We now know that it is an empusa, and she is alone. Which of you knows how to destroy these creatures? Anybody?"

There was another murmur, and then silence. Aphrodite cleared her throat and lifted her hamd to signal that she knew, then waited for Ky to acknowledge her before answering. "An empusa is fairly easily managed by the right person. For some reason, insults are their weakness; particularly, insults from the young men they try to seduce. They lose their power over you, and become vulnerable. Once you've insulted them a few times, all that's left to do is pierce their heart. They mainly live to breed, so in terms of strength and skill, they're usually quite weak."

Everyone turned to stare in awe. Ky chuckled, returning their attention towards him. "Thank you. It's nice to know that at least somebody keeps herself informed. I know I focus more on the physical self-defense, but I have encouraged you all to study the creatures you may come up against. The books are available to you. If you are going to accept missions from the Gods, please arm yourself in every way you possibly can. That does not mean strictly weapons and armor, but knowledge, as well. Which brings me to my second topic of discussion today. As I'm sure you've all noticed, we have a few new recruits. Since they are well under your levels, I will be working with them personally, and pairing them up with each other for now, so that they do not hinder anybody else here." He pointed to each of them in turn. "This is Aleazia, Shea, Dom, and Tristan. Please welcome them."

There was a muttering of greetings, and a few nods from the group.

"Right," Ky said. "Now, lastly. Though it is optional and voluntary, the Gods have asked for more help with this empusa problem. They have their hands full with important matters right now, and would like this creature handled quietly. The standard reward applies."

At first, everybody was silent. Then, a young man at the back of the group spoke up. "I'll go. I'm sure I can handle throwing out insults until she's too weak to give me a problem." Ky nodded his aquiescence, and the boy left the group to go get his things ready.

Aphrodite watched hime as he headed down the hall, and then caught a pair of eyes staring in her direction. The mean-looking boy- whose name, she had learned, was Keegan- quickly looked away as soon as he realized she had met his gaze. He shifted uncomfortably, shuffling out of her field of view. _Weird,_ She thought, but brushed it off as her paranoia.

"Alright, everyone. Pair up, grab some extra mats from the corner, and let's spar. I will be working with our new recruits today."

They spent the morning learning basic techniques on proper stance, blocking, punching, and kicking. Then, after lunch, Ky had the entire group jog in laps, shouting at them to sprint in shorter spurts of a minute each to improve their endurance. After that, they trained with wooden daggers on dummies. By dinner time, even Aphrodite was exhausted and drenched in sweat, and Tristan and Dom looked dead on their feet. She and Shea let the young men lean on them and led them to their table.

They were even too exhausted that night to sneak out and see each other.


	36. Chapter 35

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.35**

The next morning, Aphrodite awoke still feeling sore and tired. _Well, at least it's a weekend,_ she thought. _I can relax for the day._

She got herself dressed and headed to breakfast, where she met up with her group of friends, who were already sitting down to eat. "Why didn't you guys wake me up?" She asked.

Dom responded, "We thought we'd let you rest. Your injury is still healing."

"It's nearly healed completely. I heal fast. I'm alright. But thank you."

At this point, Kyboclus came up to the table where they were sitting. "Ally, may I speak with you? My office." Aphrodite nodded and followed him down through the hollowed out caves to the small stone room that served as his office.

"What is it?"

"Today, you and I will be training privately." He looked up and, upon seeing the look that crossed Aphrodite's face, said, "Look, I know you're exhausted. Yesterday took a toll on you, because you've gotten used to sitting up in your palace instead of training. You'd better get used to it, my lady. You have very little time to prepare yourself for what is to come, and even less if you happen to be discovered here. I may not be able to teach you the ways Achilles, but I will be damned if you leave here without even mastering the essentials of hand-to-hand combat and basic weaponry. You'll surely die at the hands of Hera if you are as unprepared as you were in your last encounter. Chloe has been told that I am taking you on a supply run, and as she is the most senior of the youth here, she can manage making sure things run smoothly today. Your friends will be fine without you for now."

Aphrodite sighed, "Alright. Where are we going?"

"We will be picking up supplies first, so that we don't arouse suspicion. And then, we will go to a private section of beach that I own. The sand will make it difficult to orient yourself, at first. But in the end, it will give you a good sense of balance and footing. You will hone your ability to place your feet properly while in combat. Not every battlefield will be a level surface. Come," He said as he started walking, Aphrodite at his heels.

The sun was blazing down on them by them time they reached the small section of beach Ky had told her about. She was wearing a fitted tank top and capris that allowed her a full range of movement. Ky removed his shoes, and gestured for her to do the same.

As she did, she queried, "Why are we taking our shoes off?"

"I want you to learn to rely on your body and adapt to your surroundings. You must be able to concentrate on multiple things at once; Your stance, your opponent's movements, and your own movements. You must be able to make decisions in a split second based on the way your opponents move and the faces they make, because once you learn what their face and body are telling you, you will know where they are going to attack next, and you must make the decision to defend or attack. Now, show me your stance."

Aphrodite widened her stance to shoulder width, bent her knees slightly, and raised her arms enough that she could easily move from blocking her face to striking in a moment's notice.

After a moment studying her, Ky suddenly kicked out and took out one of her legs. She fell straight on her back. Sand is deceptively hard, and the air rushed out of her lungs in a _whoosh_. She began gasping and coughing, her lungs crying for oxygen. Her new scar started searing. "Get up," Ky shouted. "There will be no reprieve in a real fight. You fight through the pain, or you die." Holding her chest, Aphrodite scrambled to her feet, trying to regain her stance. "One foot behind your waist line, one in front. The wider and lower you are, the better your balance. When you are balanced, it is harder to take you down." She did as she was instructed, glancing down at her feet. But by the time she looked back up, Ky had left her field of view, and suddenly she felt herself being tackled from the side. Ky knocked her to the ground, rolled her onto her stomach, and pinned her left arm behind her back. If her elbow could let out an audible scream, it would shatter glass. Ky was stronger even than she had anticipated, and she couldn't maneuver out of his grip. She grunted and gasped, sputtering as she inhaled sand. "Do not ever take your gaze away from your enemy. You must stay vigilant at all times, or you will be blindsided. You must trust your other senses to move you into the proper position. You lose focus, you die. If this were a fight for your life, you'd already be done for." She felt a huge sense of relief in her arm as he let her up. She regained her composure, this time ensuring that her gaze never left Ky. He moved as if to strike at her face, but as she brought her hands up to protect it, he grabbed an elbow and dashed to the side, jabbing her in the kidneys. She cried out in pain. "You need to react faster. Learn to spot when an where an attack will come from, and whether or not your opponent is feinting to distract you." Anger started building up in Aphrodite and she yelled as she stepped forward and tried to strike him. He stepped to the side just in time, gripping her arm and striking her under the shoulder blade. Her feet slipped in the sand and she was on the ground again. "Never make an uncalculated strike out of anger. Control your temper, channel your rage into focused energy. And always keep your footing. No matter what your arena looks like, you must be able to keep form." She caught movement at the corner of her vision, and rolled to a crouch just in time for his leg to kick the air where the back of her knee was. "Good. Keep your reflexes sharp, and your enemy in sight."

After an hour and a half, he let up. "That's all for today."

Aphrodite stood up straight, stretching upwards. She had at least a dozen new bruises, and her entire body was drenched in sweat. Dust and dirt mixed with it, leaving a thin film of muck all over. The bruises would fade in about two days, but at that moment she felt pulses of pain everywhere. "I need to rinse off before we go back."

Ky nodded in agreement. His seriousness melted away. "I'll do the same and meet you back at the car. We'll need to do this every week. You need as much help as you can get. You're out of shape, my lady," he chuckled, nudging her shoulder.

She smirked as he walked away, then began taking her clothes off. She quickly rinsed and wrung them before placing them flat on a rock to dry. Then she ran into the ocean without any hesitation, grateful for the cold water.


	37. Chapter 36

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.36**

By the time they got back, Aphrodite's bruises had already turned blue. Luckily, they were mostly covered by her clothing. Ky had deliberately hit her in the most susceptible places on her torso and legs. They carried in the new supplies they had gotten, including new dummies and wooden sticks for practicing basic weapons technique.

Upon seeing her, Dom, Shea, and Tristan came over to assist with the armload she was carrying. She tried not to show it, but she was grateful to have the weight taken off of her very sore ribs. Dom caught a small wince, though, and looked at her in both confusion and concern. She gave him a look that said, _Don't ask, we'll talk in private_. He seemed to understand and nodded.

Aphrodite headed to the kitchen and grabbed a small snack. She'd missed lunch, but it was mid-afternoon, and all she wanted to do was sit down until dinnertime. Shea and the boys followed her to her room, then. She flopped down onto her bed, stretching and groaning.

Tristan snickered, "That's the most human thing I have ever seen you do. You're getting good at this."

Aphrodite let out a wry laugh, "I feel almost human right now. I don't think I've ever been this sore. Even when I was helping to fight wars. Just my presence has often been enough to overwhelm people. Besides, I'm the Goddess of love. It's never been very hard to bend people to my will when I use my powers. Gods and demigods being the exception. I never had to work hard."

"Ah, that explains it," Dom chimed in jokingly. "I'm just a mortal man under your spell."

Aphrodite looked over at him seriously. "Never. I haven't used my powers at all since I met you. Well, in a very long time, actually. They're useless in Olympus, and I haven't been here in 150 years before this. It would be incredibly stupid to use my powers right now. The moment I do, anybody with the blood of a god will be able to sense my presence. I can't risk it. Whatever you all feel for me, you feel all on your own."

Dom smiled, lowering himself onto the bed beside her. "Good to know, " He said, kissing her nose.

Shea cleared her throat. "So are you going to tell us what's going on at any point today? It's no coincidence that Ky decided to take you out on a 'supply run' today, and you look sore. Like 'I got hit by a big truck' kind of sore."

Aphrodite sighed. "Kyboclus has decided that I need more intensive training, every week. In the words of you modern humans, I got my ass handed to me today."

Tristan snorted, "That sounds so weird coming from someone as old as you." He picked up a loose rock from the cave floor and started tossing it up in the air and catching it.

To which Dom asked, "Yeah.. come to think of it.. exactly **how** old are you? I mean, thousands of years could mean anything."

"Well.." Aphrodite responded, "I'm one of the youngest of the Olympians. But I'm older than the human species. I was born out of the smallest spark of affection and kindness in the gods. The Titans had no concept of love, only power and greed. My beauty came from the beauty of the feeling of empathy and compassion. Love evolved as I came into my powers. And then, it became a part of what the human species depended on to survive. Without those feelings, humans were killing each other faster than they could reproduce. I suppose, without me, none of you would exist."

There was a shocked silence in the room, aside from the clatter of the rock Tristan had just dropped. "So more than a few millennia then.." He finally said. "I guess we should have guessed as much."

Aphrodite cringed inwardly. "More like... a few million."

Dom let out a long breath. "Wow. You are way out of my league."

Aphrodite burst into laughter at that unexpected response. They all laughed together for a minute. She finally stopped laughing and spoke again. "You're wrong. Older doesn't mean wiser. My misery has caused human misery. I've been selfish and lazy with my powers, relying on just my existence to keep people happy. But there is so much pain and greed in this world. It's corrupted to a point that I can no longer control it. My powers only do so much to help the evolution of human beings. I can influence people in small groups, control their hopes and desires, but my true power is in drawn out evolution worldwide. I have been selfish, greedy, and vain. It's reflected on human beings. I'm sorry. Even if I change for the better, those bitter feelings still exist. Bettering myself will ultimately better the world over time. But corrupt people will always exist."

"You're very hard on yourself," Shea said quietly. "You've been put through so much. And you're not the only god that's full of greed, or rage. Hera is the goddess of mothers and marriage, for heaven's sake. You think that their feelings don't affect how people are? I have news for you, it is not all your fault. The gods affect human beings on a collective level. I'm grateful for you. I'm so glad that love and compassion exist. Like you said, if it hadn't, the human race would have died off long ago. You need to give yourself more credit. Because even through your misery, you still held on to love. Your memories are your strength, not your weakness. Everyone makes mistakes, even gods. I can't speak for the whole world, but I forgive you."

Despite the stabbing pain it caused her, Aphrodite sprang up, crossed the room, and hugged her best friend. Tears sprang from her eyes as she said, "Thank you."

She was grateful for a Sunday to relax. Ky had made it so that her whole body was tender in the morning. Sparring with her Shea and practicing on dummies was straining her enough as it was, but Ky was taking her training to another level; the level where if you made a slip, you paid for it in pain. She knew it was a good method, conditioning her to respond to her instincts by treating it like a real combat situation. She was sure that if she had more time to learn, he wouldn't be so hard on her. After breakfast, Aphrodite decided to spend a day with Shea, Tristan, and Dom, just enjoying each other's company and conversation in her room. But there were a couple of times that she had the distinct feeling that something was off.


	38. Chapter 37

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.37**

Over the next week, Aphrodite pushed herself more than she ever had, training and working her body hard. Thanks to Ky- or, as Tristan liked to call him, Drill Sergeant Hardass- the group barely got any time together in a private setting. The most they could get was a few minutes every night to check in with each other before heading off to shower and rest. Even gods got worn out. She felt sorry for the boys, who were training just as hard as the demigods that surrounded them. On the upside, she could already feel herself getting stronger, better, faster. She hadn't felt so agile in thousands of years. It was Friday night, and Aphrodite could not wait until Sunday, the one day every week she would have to rest, seeing as the "Drill Sergeant" had added an extra day a week on to her training, in which he would personally pummel her. She was lucky that the bruises only lasted about two days before completely disappearing.

All of that was fine with Aphrodite, but she had had a small knot in her stomach all week. Even more unsettling, every time she had felt it get tight, she would catch the eyes of Keegan, who would quickly look away. The knot she was feeling was suspicion, and it got a little stronger every day. Why she was suspicious of this boy, she didn't know. Maybe it was the fact that his broad face and upturned nose always looked mean, even if he was laughing with his friends. Either way, whenever she looked at him, she felt her stomach grip uncomfortably.

Lost in thought, she barely registered the knock at her door, only looking up when it opened. Dom, in his perfection, gave her a caring smile when he walked in and sat next to her on the bed. "Distracted?" he inquired.

"Sorry," Aphrodite responded. "Just lost in thought. It's been a busy week, I've barely had a moment to think."

"I know the feeling," he said, gently stroking her arm.

She sighed. "That feels nice."

Dom chuckled and pulled her over so that her head was resting on his chest, his arm wrapping around her back, his fingers gliding up and down her arm as he kissed the top of her head. Aphrodite loved that he was so gentle with her. She felt valued, cared for. She fell into a dreamless sleep in his embrace... only to be shocked awake by an unimpressed looking Ky, who tugged on one of her feet.

"My lady, if you wish for my help, you must obey my rules. They're quite simple. Your relationship is to be private, separate, and in your free time. Not on my time."

Aphrodite groaned, looked over at the clock, and gasped. She was supposed to meet Ky in his office almost an hour ago to leave for training. She cursed under her breath, rolled out of Dom's grip, and stood. "I am so sorry, Ky. He just came in to talk, and we were so tired that we fell asleep," she said, her face burning in shame and embarrassment.

"Get dressed and meet me outside, please. We will train before going to grab food supplies this week."

As soon as he left the room, she smacked her forehead. "Gods, I'm such an idiot." She crossed back over to Dom and gently shook him awake, "I have to go. I'm late. I'll see you when I get back, and we'll spend some time together then," she promised, quickly kissing his cheek. He nodded and gave her a sleepy smile while she grabbed the clothes she needed and headed out.

Standing barefoot in the sand, she faced Ky. "I'm sorry again," she said awkwardly. "I won't be late again. It was my mistake."

Ky sighed, shrugging. "I don't care what you do on your off-time, my lady-"

"Call me Ally, please," She interrupted. "If people overhear you calling me that, I could be found out."

"Ally, then," Ky conceded. "You only have a small amount of time with me. I must teach you as quickly as possible, to prepare you for the fight of your life. I cannot prepare you for the riddles and puzzles in the Labyrinth, but I _can_ prepare you for the combat against the minotaur, and against Hera. I do not care if you choose to carry on with a young mortal, but you must use your training time to focus on the tasks that are set to you. Now, let us begin."

Aphrodite nodded, widening her stance, sicking lower, and raising her fists. "Let's do this."


	39. Chapter 38

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.38**

Not one to waste time, Ky aimed a jab towards Aphrodite's face. When she blocked the shot, she felt a small sense of glee. That is, until he swiped her foot out from under her and sent her tumbling. "Good block," he said, "but you need to use that to your advantage and counter before your opponent has the chance to recover." He kicked out at her arm as she was still trying to get up. She dug her feet into the ground while simultaneously shifting her position and grabbing his leg. She lifted herself slightly, throwing off his balance, and struck the underside of his knee. He staggered away, grunting. "Excellent. Now, once you have thrown off your opponent, keep the momentum going. Find their vulnerabilities and attack them. There's no place for pause in combat." She did as directed, using one of her arms to throw a punch, and then, instead, grabbing the arm he used to block, then putting all of her weight into her shoulder, slamming into his chest. She had already gotten much better, and this time, it was Ky who was winded. Ky recovered quickly, though, and grabbed her by her tied up hair. "Remember, your opponent will not follow the rules of conduct for civilized combat. They will take the cheap shot, if given the chance," he said, putting his knee into her back, just above her hip.

Two hours later, Aphrodite was finished her training session. She had not been perfect, but she had blocked many advances, and landed quite a few hits on Ky. She'd still taken a few hits, but he had seemed satisfied with her improvement."Good work today," He said. "Next week, we'll start using the wooden blades in our one-on-one training."

"Sounds good to me," she responded. He left her alone to wash the dirt off her body in the water, and then they met back at the car and went to grab food supplies for the next two weeks before heading back to their underground compound.

When they arrived, Aphrodite was glad to get underground. The day was hot and humid, and she was grateful for the cooler air's caress back in the caves. This time, they arrived early in the afternoon, and Chloe, Amara, and the others, even Keegan, came to assist in bringing in their haul for the day.

"We figured you wouldn't be too late, so we all decided to wait on you for a late lunch," Chloe said to Ky.

Ky looked at her skeptically. "You mean you made that decision and everyone else just went with it."

Chloe's mouth twitched up into a mischievous grin. She looked at Aphrodite and wiggled her eyebrows, which made the goddess giggle.

The mess area buzzed with joyful chatter when they all say for lunch. Chloe joined the group at their table, sitting down right next to Aphrodite. "Hey," she said, and quietly slipped Aphrodite a note, who, sensing that it was something secretive, quickly slipped it under the table to glance at it. It read, _I know your secret._

Aphrodite got up from the table and asked, "Chloe, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" The girl nodded, and she stalked out of the eating area. She found a nearby restroom, and pulled Chloe in with her, closing and locking the door.

"What is it that you think you know?"

Chloe put her hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Listen, I'm not here to hurt you or threaten you." When Aphrodite silently urged her to keep talking, she dropped her hands and sighed, "I heard you guys talking in your room from out in the hall. You really need to be more careful around here. Is all that stuff you said about Hera true?"

"Yes," Aphrodite responded. "I did not attack her, it was the other way around. I am here to strengthen myself so that I can go back to Olympus and confront her. _In front_ of everyone else there, so that I can redeem myself."

"Well, then, I'm no threat. I swear it. In fact, I'd like to help. I always thought she was kind of a bitch, anyways." Her eyes looked at the goddess earnestly.

Feeling relieved, Aphrodite invited her back to their table. They sat and ate lunch together, and she felt content. She looked over at Tristan and Shea, sensing a heat between them, noticing how close they sat together, their hands entwined, Tristan whispering something in her Shea's ear. She cleared her throat and told Dom, "I think we should leave them be for the day, don't you?" He responded with a conspiratorial grin and nod.

Chloe seemed to get the message, too. "I gotta spend some time with my girl anyways."

"Your girl?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yeah. Amara," she responded.

"Oh, I suppose that doesn't really surprise me." Aphrodite had sensed something between them when she first arrived, and had mistaken it as friendship. It must have been new. "Well, have a good day, then. See you at dinner."

Chloe smiled and gave a two finger salute before taking her lunch dishes and walking away. The rest of the group started clearing their things from the table as well, and headed off.

Back at their rooms, Tristan waved goodbye to Dom and Aphrodite, leading Shea into his room by the hand. As soon as the door closed, he grabbed her around the waist and planted a kiss on her lips. Shea deepened the kiss while Tristan placed his hands under her bottom and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and carrying her over to the bed...

In the other room, Aphrodite sat on the edge of her bed. Dom sat behind her, folding her into himself gently, hinting, "They seem to be enjoying each other's company today."

Aphrodite leaned into him, lifting her arm and caressing his face. "Who said they need to be the only ones?"

Dom's only response was a quiet grunt as he kissed her neck. She turned her face, finding his lips with hers.

(Mature love scenes omitted. Message and request if you want to read them.)


	40. Chapter 39

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.39**

After five weeks with Ky, Aphrodite finally felt as though her strength and fighting ability were coming back to her, and she was starting to feel comfortable. She had heard nothing more of Hera, and this place had become almost a peaceful sanctuary for her. The soreness in her muscles was slowly being replaced by hardened muscles, lightly calloused fingers, and a sense of confidence. With each passing day, she felt more safe. Even the knot in her stomach when she was near Keegan was slowly ebbing.

They had an afternoon of free training to improve on whatever they chose, so Aphrodite had picked up the throwing knives. A smile crept across her face as the throwing knife left her grip and landed in the target, near dead centre. A small grouping of blades surrounded it, all within 2 inches of the centre target. She heard a small shuffling behind her and turned to find Ky a mere three feet away, giving her a nod. She knew she would not have been able to do either of these things a few weeks ago, and she was glad for how hard her teacher had been training her.

"Excellent grouping, Ally," Ky said, giving her a meaningful glance before moving on to check on his other students. She beamed. She looked to Dom, at the target area next ot her. He grinned and winked, causing her to blush. He wasn't doing too badly himself. There were five throwing knives in the chest of his target; some had missed the two inner rings, but one was in the centre, and two in the second circle.

Suddenly, she heard a shout of, "Look out!" and felt herself being shoved to the ground just as a rogue bolt flew through the air where she had been standing and barely missing Dom's leg before bouncing off of the rocky floor. She looked toward the source, and saw a red faced Amara holding a crossbow in one hand and her foot in another. Chloe was beside her, cursing herself and profusely apologizing, apparently she had tripped while holding a medicine ball (which they used for balance training), simultaneously knocking Amara's loaded crossbow, and dropping the ball on her foot. She looked up as her saviour got to his feet, and stifled a gasp. Keegan held his hand out to her, helping her up. He asked, "You alright?"

Aphrodite stood agape for a moment before composing herself with a nod and responding. "Thanks," she said, feeling a wave of guilt for mistrusting the young man.

"And this is basic weapons training," Keegan chuckled. "I wonder how many people die in advanced training."

Relief spread through Aphrodite. "Well, thankfully nobody died today. Thanks to you," she said quietly, giving him a small smile. She couldn't say that his face looked much better when he smiled, but he did so, clapping her on the shoulder before returning to his business.

It was only then that she felt a stinging pain in her left shoulder. Apparently the force of a demigod knocking her down had been enough that the cave floor, not yet worn smooth in this area, had scraped and cut open her skin. Chloe ran over to her after ensuring her girlfriend hadn't been injured. "Oh my gods, Ally! I am so sorry! Are you okay? Ky!" She called, as he was running over from the opposite end of the training area.

"I'm fine, really," Aphrodite said. "Don't make a fuss, it's just a cut."

"All the same, we should get it cleaned and bandaged," Ky interjected. "Come to my office, please." Aphrodite looked at Dom, who shrugged and motioned for her to go. She sighed, following Ky.

Leading her into his office, Ky pointed to a chair, telling her to sit while he grabbed the first aid. She did so, and he came back, getting to work on cleaning her shoulder. "Really, Ky," She said, "I don't know why you need to make a big deal out of this. It'll be gone in two days."

"Yes, and if I don't treat you the same way I would treat any of these young men and women, that may be cause for suspicion. Besides, I enjoy these small moments with you. I like getting to know you without everyone else around."

A feeling crept into the pit of Ahprodite's stomach, a slow burning feeling. She could sense exactly what Ky was feeling, but before she had time to say another word, she felt him turn her face and plant his lips over hers. She gasped, pushing him away and standing. "Ky," she cried out accusingly.

A look of bewilderment crossed his face. "I'm sorry, my lady. I thought.. I felt... I figured you might... Oh gods. Please forgive me, Lady Aphrodite." He knelt on one knee and bowed his head, "My goddess, I have crossed a line."

The shock and anger faded as fast as it had come on. Aphrodite sighed, "Ky, it's alright. It's a misunderstanding."

"No, my lady. I should not have been so bold. I am not worthy of a goddess such as you. I should have said something. I shouldn't have done that."

"Well.. I agree that you should have spoken to me about your feelings first. But I don't look down on you as if you are unworthy, Ky. My heart... belongs to someone already."

"I did not realize things were so serious with the mortal boy," He responded. She heard him apologize again. What she didn't hear was the footsteps retreating away from the office, carrying with them someone who had overheard their entire conversation.


	41. Chapter 40

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine Ch.40**

Aphrodite walked back out to the training area just as everybody was putting away equipment and heading to dinner. Not in the mood, she turned and walked the opposite way, back to her room. She sank down on the bed and put her head in her hands, sighing. She felt awful for giving Ky the impression that she had enjoyed training with him as something more.

Her head snapped up at a quiet knock, and she called, "Come in." Dom, Tristan, and Shea all filed in to the room.

"You alright?" Dom asked.

"I'm fine," she said, then hesitated. "..Well, not really. I mean the wound is very minor. But I have to tell you something, Dom."

Dom gave the others a look, and they quickly nodded and went to stand outside the door. He climbed onto the bed beside her, and asked, "What's the matter, honey?"

"I feel awful. Please don't be angry with me. I fear I may have misled Ky into thinking I had feelings for him. When I went to his office for bandages, he kissed me."

Dom shifted uncomfortably. "And did you kiss him back?" He asked, gentle as always.

"No. I pushed him away, and told him that I-" Aphrodite paused, realizing she had said once before that she _thought_ she loved him, but she had never said it definitively. She took a deep breath to steel herself. "I love you. My heart belongs to you, and nobody else."

He cupped her cheek and said, "I love you, too. And I'm not angry with you. You didn't kiss him, and you told me right away.." His voice trailed off and his eyes went distant, a frown forming on his face. "I... I have to tell you something. Hold on." He rushed over to the door to bring Tristan and Shea back in. "We have to tell them, T. We can't keep hiding this from them."

Aphrodite felt something grip at her stomach and squeeze. "Hiding what? What's going on?"

Tristan sighed, looking at Shea. "It wasn't coincidence that we all met. We were sent by Hera to search you out and report back to her with your loca-"

"What?!" Shea and Aphrodite screamed at the same time.

"Please," Dom interrupted, "let us explain. Please!"

Aphrodite pulled her friend onto the bed beside her, putting her arms protectively around Shea. Anger rose in her chest and she glared. "You have one minute."

Dom launched into a rant at high speed. "Hera found us wandering around Greece. She figured we were someone you would never suspect, and hired us to find you and spy on you. As far as she knew, you had been hauled to safety by Shea, and she lost you. So we started in the direct area where she thought you might be, and it took us a while to find you. But, then I met you and something hit me, and I felt myself being pulled to you, and I just knew. I knew who you were, and I knew that I could never hurt you. I told Tristan, and things just got complicated, because I wanted to tell you so badly, but I was afraid you would run and I would never see you again. But then you started trusting us, and Shea and Tristan, and... and we just couldn't tell you. But we never told Hera anything, I swear it."

The girls stared, agape. Shea began to weep. After a moment, Aphrodite shook her head, the anger slowly fading, replaced by hurt. "I haven't felt anything malicious from them since we met. Just a.. strange pang, like an electrical current connecting.. I feel no dishonesty or hate. Bu

t I do feel Tristan's intense love for you. I believe them," She said to Shea, who took a moment to glance at Tristan, who stared at her earnestly. Shea looked back at Aphrodite and nodded her head, calming herself. "But you should have told us. You can't just omit things like that and call yourself honest."

Dom knelt in front of her. "I know. I'm so sorry. But do you remember that day, on the beach? I meant every word I said to you. I swear. Aphrodite," he said, taking hold of her face once again, "I would follow you to the ends of the universe. Even if it means my death, I will spend my life protecting, loving, and serving you."

Tristan offered his hand to Shea and, when she hesitantly accepted, gently lifted her to her feet. Running his fingers through her hair, he whispered to her, "I would never betray you like that, Shea. I promise, I would do anything to keep you from harm. I'm a man who keeps my promises, remember?" Silent tears were falling from her eyes, but Shea let out a small chuckle at the memory of their first shower together.

"Don't ever lie to me again," She chastised. "Don't break my heart. You're the only man I've ever wanted to be with, and I don't want that to go away."

"Never. I have seen every piece of you. The pieces you show the world, and the pieces you hide. I love every piece of you. Every single, beautiful piece." Tristan looked into her eyes with an intensity she had never seen. "I will never let you go. I promise." Shea smiled and exhaled. They clutched each other and kissed, at the same time Aphrodite and Dom kissed.

A knock came at the door, then, and Chloe's voice called, "Ally? Can I come in?" Aphrodite went to the door and allowed her entry. Chloe looked around and nodded a hello to each of them before asking, "Are you alright? I went to Ky's office after dinner when you didn't show. He seemed a little upset and told me I could find you here. Amara finished before me and left to go lay down, so I figured I'd check on you."

"Sister!" Interrupted a voice loudly, causing all of them to jump and gasp. An apparition of Athena shimmered into the room, a look of urgency to her.


	42. Chapter 41

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.41**

"Athena? Why aren't you here in the flesh? And what's wrong?" Aphrodite asked.

"There are wards on this place. No immortal can enter without explicit permission from Kyboclus. That way, jealous gods cannot smite the offspring of other gods while they are under his protection. Please, we have no time. There are spies here, under Hera's employ."

"We know she hired Tristan and Dom, but they haven't-"

"No, someone else. Someone who has just found you out and reported to her. I overheard her giving them a kill order. You must flee. But just as I cannot transport inside, you cannot transport yourself out. I await you outside of the entrance. Please hurry, before they come for you."

"I will see her out safely, Lady Athena," Chloe spoke up. She gave a dutiful bow to the apparition and turned to the others. "Don't take anything but your personal weapons. Let's go. Stay together."

Aphrodite grabbed a dagger small enough for throwing, but big enough for close combat. Luckily, they had all been instructed to keep a small stash of weapons in each room in case of emergencies. She tossed the other to Dom, a shortsword to Shea, and a crossbow to Tristan. Tristan loaded it quickly, and then they rushed into the hallway. Chloe took the lead, and Aphrodite allowed the others to go ahead of her. They stayed close together, running through the sparring area, past Ky's office, and out to the main exit tunnel.

Aphrodite was surprised that they had had no trouble getting to the tunnel, and felt a sense of momentary relief. It must have taken whomever it was who had been given the order some time to prepare, giving them enough time to slip away. They were safe, she thought, letting her relief bubble into a small laugh.

Her laughter was cut off by a sudden clenching in her stomach, though. She was filled with a sense of murderous hate. Gasping, she started to turn, screaming as an arrow missed her heart, landing instead in her already injured shoulder. It was an arrow made by her husband, made specifically to be able to harm an immortal. Her companions came to a dead halt, turning around at her scream. Tristan lifted his crossbow and fired at the figure approaching them.

Amara winced and hissed as the bolt grazed the side of her head, taking off a piece of her ear and ripping a gash in her scalp just beside it. Suddenly, with a sickening guilt, Aphrodite realized the feeling in the pit of her stomach had not come from looking at Keegan. That had just been coincedence. She realized also, that every time she had felt it, Chloe had been beside her, and the girl now holding a bow aimed at Aphrodite would be sidling up to give her girlfriend a quick kiss or snuggle up to her.

"No," gasped Chloe, knocking aside Tristan's crossbow just after the shot was fired. "Please. Amara, no. Baby.. everything Hera has been telling everyone, it isn't true. Please listen to me. Put it down."

Aphrodite had gone for the small dagger at her side, but Chloe had grabbed her hand and gazed at her imploringly. As Chloe began to lower the bow, Aphrodite let her hand relax. Dom remained tensed.

"Hera has always hated the spawn of her miserable husband. But that doesn't mean she's never taken a mortal man to her bed. I am sorry, my love. I am bound to honor my mother," She said, raising her bow back into position and firing with blinding speed.

She heard a gasp and thump before the shock wore off enough to register that she had not been hit by the arrow. She looked down and cried out as Chloe let out her last breath and the life left her eyes. She had stepped in front of Aphrodite, and been struck right in the heart. Her death came quickly as Aphrodite cried her name and bent down. Meanwhile, Tristan had swiftly reloaded his crossbow. As he lifted it to aim, Amara fired another arrow, hitting him in the ribs. The air was knocked from his lungs, and the crossbow dropped to the ground. Shea shrieked. Her shortsword was useless in this situation.

Dom was readying his dagger to throw as Amara nocked another arrow. But before either could make their move, the head of a spear burst forth from Amara's chest. She looked down with wide eyes, as if confused, before dropping to the ground, revealing Keegan. Laying on her side, she let out a few shuddering breaths before her body went slack and her breathing stopped altogether.

Aphrodite, who had not yet seen what happened to Tristan, cradled Chloe in her arms, sobbing. "Oh, Chloe. No... no.. I'm so sorry," She wailed, caressing the face and hair of the girl who had given her life to save the goddess, praying for a response. But her eyes were open and lifeless, and her friend was gone. Looking back, she realized how badly Tristan had been hit, and was overwhelmed with a wild panic. Keegan knelt and lifted Chloe from her arms just then, allowing her to crawl over to her other friend. He was groaning and gasping. She heard gurgling sounds in his chest and was horrified, knowing that this meant his lung had been pierced.

"I'll take her to Ky and tell him what happened. Take him and get away from here. More of her followers are coming," Keegan said quietly, beginning to back away.

Grabbing one of his arms, Aphrodite began to lift Tristan. "Thank you, Keegan," She responded, as he turned and ran. Dom joined her efforts, lifting Tristan by his other arm, hauling him into a standing position. Together, Aphrodite and Dom hoisted him so that his feet were barely touching the ground and starting moving as fast as they could. "Come on, Tristan. Stay with us," Aphrodite begged as the gurgling noise slowly started getting louder. In a matter of moments, he would start choking and drown in his own blood. Fresh tears began streaming down her face as she ran, pain in her arm and fear nearly blinding her. Shea ran ahead and slammed her hand onto the exit, creating an opening in the rock. She was so upset she had let her disguise slip, and the nautical stars in her sea blue eyes turned the dark gray of a storm. She was crying so hard she was hiccupping. Exiting the tunnel, the laid Tristan on the sand. The arrow protruding from his chest was the only thing slowing the flooding in his lungs.

"Athena!" Aphrodite screamed. Her sister appeared at her side. Among her many gifts, Athena was the most gifted healer the gods had. "Help him," she begged. "Please."

Athena nodded. Kneeling down, she took Tristan's face in her hands. "This will hurt very much. But you must not give in to the pain or you will be lost to us." Tristan moaned and nodded, blood starting to mix with his saliva. His face was turning purple. Athena bent over the arrow and forced it through, breaking off the head as it came out of his back and pulling the rest of the shaft out of his chest. In place of a scream, a river of blood began flowing from his mouth. Shea squeaked and covered her mouth. Aphrodite turned and held her friend's head, doing her best to comfort her. Dom was clinging to his brother's hand. Athena then placed her hands over Tristan's wound. A hot glow spread from her palms. He choked up more and more blood as her power burned through him, healing his injury and forcing the dark red fluid out of his lungs until it was gone and the screaming began. Athena removed her hands and the glowing subsided. Tristan's body slumped as he passed out.

It was only then that Aphrodite realized that although she had stopped crying, her vision was getting darker and more blurry.


	43. Chapter 42

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.42**

"Aph!" Shea cried as Aphrodite started swaying.

"Get it out," she croaked. "The arrow, get it out."

Athena ran over to her. "It's lodged under your shoulder blade. I cannot push it through. Come, we must get away from here, there's no time to dig it out."

Dom was still clinging to Tristan. "But he isn't waking up! Why isn't he waking up?"

"He is not out of the woods yet. My powers healed him physically, but the pain it caused was immense. We are lucky he even survived it. Imagine the feeling of a piece of the sun inside of you, burning your insides. It's dangerous enough that I will not use it on anymortal man unless there is no other option. He must survive the pain through sheer force of will. He may yet die. Give me his hand, and hold on to me. Now."

Aphrodite could no longer hold on to her consciousness. Her hearing started to sound more and more distant, her eyes seeing less and less, until there was nothing but darkness and silence.

Fire. All she felt was fire. It felt as though it were burning her soul from within her. A scream ripped out between her clenched teeth. It took her a moment as she awoke to realize this was the familiar sensation of her sister's healing power. It was sealing the wound in her shoulder. But she was no mere mortal. Her body could withstand this power much better than Tristan had, and the pain subsided to a dull heat a few moments later. When she caught her breath, she sat up and looked around.

Shea was holding her hand. White marble was everywhere, and a large canopy bed covered in fine silk sheets and gossamer curtains surrounded her. The air was pleasantly temperate. "Olympus?" Aphrodite asked in confusion. On the bed beside her was an unconscious Tristan, Dom on his other side, staring intently, willing him to wake up.

"Yes, sister," Athena responded. "I lifted the wards barring you from entry. I was foolish to create them in the first place.. I should have let you come back to challenge Hera right away. I set impossible standards and it nearly got you killed. I cost a young girl her life. I am doing my best to hide you, but it is only a matter of time."

This saddened Aphrodite. "Chloe was a wonderful young woman. She was loyal and fierce and brave. She died to protect me, and I will forever live in her debt. But you were not wrong. If you had let me challenge Hera then, I would have surely lost. I was vain, selfish, and weak. I did not know then what I know now. I could not keep going through life the way I have been living for thousands of years. I could not be strong without the love and support I have found and the relationships I have forged. I have a purpose. I have something to live for, fight for, even die for. I will challenge Hera not just for myself, but for all of the lives she has destroyed with her duplicitous ways. I will fight not just to benefit myself, but those I love as well. I was not strong enough before, but perhaps I can be now. I must go to Zeus at once." She began to stand, but Athena put a hand on her shoulder.

"You are not yet back at full strength, sister."

"I have strength enough. You said yourself that it was only a matter of time. I must do this," she responded, gently removing her sister's hand. A resigned sadness crossed Athena's face, and she nodded.

Aphrodite strode into the throne room with her head held high. Most of the gods were gathered in council, sitting on their thrones. The largest throne, centered upon steps at the head of the room, belonged to Zeus. As she entered, all gazes turned to her. Some sympathetic, othersfilled with annoyance, dislike, or outright hatred. Hera sat in her throne, which was somewhat smaller than that of Lord Zeus, on his right hand side. It seemed as though she were keeping up appearances. Athena walked in behind Aphrodite, but did not move to sit in her throne in an obvious show of support. Hera somehow looked both seething angry and fearful at the same time.

Walking up to the bottom of the steps, Aphrodite knelt on one knee, bowing her head low. "My Lord Zeus."

"I have heard some disturbing things about you, daughter. Tales that, if I had not known you for the last four thousand years, I would not be able to believe in an eon. Tell me why I should not banish you to the pits of Tartarus and ban the use of your name for all eternity."

"Father, please," Athena pleaded. "Those are lies."

"Athena.. Please. I must do this myself. Father, I know that I have been truly awful to you, and all of my fellow Olympians, for a very long time. I do not deserve forgiveness. At least not yet. I have not earned it. But I beg you, please believe me. I did not attack Hera, or conspire against her. It is just the opposite. And her grudge against me, and you, has cost the lives of innocents."

Zeus stood suddenly and boomed, "My wife, Queen of the Olympians? Do you realize the seriousness of these accusations, child?" Hera's mouth quirked up in a smug leer.

Aphrodite bowed her head once again. "I do, Father. And that is why I ask that you summon Aletheia, Goddess of Veritas. And once I am vindicated, I challenge Hera to single combat."

Hera's smirk faltered, replaced by shock.


	44. Chapter 43

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.43**

Zeus gave his wife an accusatory glance. "You seem quite certain of yourself, Aphrodite. This concerns me. Who am I sharing my bed and my reign with, then, I wonder?"

"Dear husband," Hera stammered, "I-I am the same woman I have always been. You have never doubted me before. I have given you no cause. Don't listen to this snake."

"Indeed, my love. I have never seen cause to interrogate you before, or have Aletheia test the truth of your words. But I am beginning to wonder if that was naive of me. Perhaps my affection for you has blinded me."

"Your _affection?_ You show me the same amount of _affection_ you would show any beautiful creature that would open her legs for you," Hera began, enraged. Then her eyes widened, and she snapped her mouth shut.

"I see," Zeus said calmly. "Which of you is truly the snake? Aphrodite has been unpleasant as a child throwing a fit for a very long while, but she never hid it. Very well, I have decided." He clapped loudly, releasing a loud rumbling thunder. "Aletheia, Goddess of Veritas, I summon thee."

Alethia appeared on one knee, bowing. "Yes, my king?"

"I must ask you to listen to my wife and my daughter closely. Their versions of the recent events conflict. I must know the truth of the matter," Zues ordered, gesturing for her to stand and come to him.

Getting up, she nodded, "Yes, my king."

When both Hera and Aphrodite had told their side of the happenings in the last few weeks, Aletheia turned to Zeus. "I am afraid that your daughter is right. The responsible party for all of the conspiracy, fighting, and death, lies with Hera. She harbors resentment for you and your children, especially the wife of her son."

Zeus looked as if his head might explode. But, ever so calmly, he responded, "Then my decision is made. I shall decide your fate, Hera, should you survive this battle. Aphrodite, what are your conditions?"

"I wish for my freedom. I want to be able to come and go as I please, without fear for my safety, or the safety of those I love. I want my marriage to the son of Hera nullified. I want to have a say in what I do with my body. I wish for the chance to answer the attempt on my life. And I want my own justice for the lives lost to her petty hatred. That is all I ask."

"I will grant these conditions. Only surrender or death can end this battle. You understand, daughter, that if you lose, I can grant you none of these? Are you willing to risk your life for this?" Zeus asked.

"I am," Aphrodite stated.

"Very well, then. You will battle in the Sky Arena when the sun reaches it's peak tomorrow." Zeus deemed.

"I think I should have a say in whether or not I accept this challenge," Hera sneered.

"You _will not_ shame me further, woman. Do not test me," the God of Gods spoke definitively, through gritted teeth. At this, Hera seemed to deflate, and she bowed her head.


	45. Chapter 44

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.44**

As the council session ended, the Gods dispersed. Aphrodite strode back to the room where her friends waited for word. She walked straight to Tristan's bedside and asked, "How is he?"

Shea looked upset as she said, "He seems to just be getting worse.. His pulse is quickening, and his temperature won't go down. It's like I can feel him slipping away.." Her breath hitched, and a tear slid down her cheek. "Aph, I can't lose him.."

Aphrodite wrapped her in a tight embrace as Athena walked back into the room. "Is there nothing that can be done?"

Athena came over and studied Tristan carefully. "He may pull through yet, but your friend is right. He is struggling. He is very strong to have even lasted as long as he has. This kind of healing is very hard on the mortal body, and the soul. He is in excruciating pain, though he cannot express it."

At this, Shea began to sob. Aphrodite, still holding her friend, said, "You've used up much of your strength to heal us, sister. I am grateful. Perhaps you are not the only one who can lend their strength to others."

Dom, who had been sitting in a chair on the opposite side of the bed looking stormy, snapped his head up at this. "You could do that?"

"I've never done it before, but I could try."

Athena grabbed Aphrodite by the shoulder, saying, "You musn't. You have a battle for your life in 14 hours! You would be sacrificing much of your strength, and quite possibly your chance to live. You're not even back to full strength yet yourself."

Sighing and lowering his head again, Dom said, "She's right. You can't screw your chances for tomorrow. We can't live without you either."

Sniffling and wiping at her eyes, Shea nodded her agreement. "We just have to hope he pulls through.."

Aphrodite thought quietly for a moment, then responded. "No. The only reason I'm here at all is because Shea saved my life, you all helped me find my footing again, and Tristan stepped in to save my life once again. If I die fighting for my freedom, I will still have lived a very long life and had many adventures. And I got to meet you all, and love you. I can't let Tristan lose his already short life because of me. That would just mean that I am still the same selfish, ugly person I've been for too long." Before any of them could respond, she clutched one of Tristan's arms and focused on channeling her strength into him. It wasn't long before she felt the energy flowing through her arms, and then Tristan's body temperature slowly cooling. She began shaking and panting as he groaned and shifted.

Suddenly, she felt arms around her, pulling her back. "That's enough, Aphrodite! You will have no hope at all if you weaken yourself further," Athena exclaimed as she dragged her sister away from the unconscious boy. When Aphrodite stopped struggling against her, Athena let her go.

Sinking to her knees, panting, the weakened goddess asked, "Did it work? Was it enough?"

"Yes, sister. He should awaken by tomorrow. You have helped him through the worst of it. He will live, but to your own detriment."

"No matter the outcome, this was worth the sacrifice."

Dom got up and ran around the bed to Aphrodite, kneeling and folding her into his arms. Kissing her forhead, he begged, "Please don't die tomorrow. Even if you can't beat her, please, don't die. You can give up and ask for mercy. We could run for the rest of our lives, I don't care. We can hide from her."

Aphrodite looked to him and sighed, "I cannot do that. You live such short lives already, I cannot make you spend that life on the run, afraid of what will happen every single day. and I cannot let Hera's treachery go unpunished, not if I can help it. If I concede, I live in exile and dishonor, a craven immortal. And then, I would be alone for eternity, running, once you are gone.. I can't run anymore."

Dom looked down sadly and nodded. When she reached up to caress his face, Athena cleared her throat to interrupt.

"You must rest now, sister, if you are to have any hope tomorrow." Aphrodite gave a curt nod before allowing Dom to lift her off the floor and help her over to the bed she had woken in earlier. Exhaustion overtook her, and she was asleep before her head touched the pillow.

She was awakened by a familiar voice saying, "I guess it's my turn to sit by your bedside for a bit."

Although she felt bone tired, her eyes snapped open. "Tristan," she cried happily. "You're awake. You're alright!"

"Apparently I owe my thanks to you for that. You saved my skin."

"Only after you saved mine," She responded, sitting up. "I suppose we're even now."

"Not even close. You could die today because you helped me. Seems unfair."

"I am ancient, and you are a brother to Dom and a lover to Shea. It would destroy them to lose you. You can help them move on with their lives, if..." Aphrodite trailed off.

"Don't talk like that," Dom said, appearing in the doorway with both mortal food, and ambrosia. "Here, take this," He continued, setting the ambrosia in front of her. "It will help you."

"Thank you, love. What time is it?"

At that moment, Athena strode into the room. "Good, you are awake. The sun will peak in one hour. Come, we must prepare you."


	46. Chapter 45

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.45**

An hour later, Aphrodite was standing on the ground in the arena wearing armor and helmet. Hera stood ten feet in front of her, dressed similarly. Aphrodite held a blade in her hand, long and slim and perfectly balanced. Hera held two daggers, no less deadly. Around the arena, there were rock formations. On top of these formations, there were other weapons waiting to be used. Godly battles were rare, but it was not uncommon, during these few battles, for each opponent to be disarmed at least once. It was a fairly small arena, and all of the major gods were in attendance.

Still tired and disarmed, Aphrodite felt anxiety prickling her neck. Taking a deep breath and shaking her arms slightly, she tried to calm herself. She could do this; she _had to_ finish this. Time seemed to slow as the adrenaline hit her, sharpening her senses, as Zeus made the gesture for the battle to commence.

Hera let out something that sounded somewhere between a feral snarl and a shriek, launching herself, quickly closing the gap between herself and her opponent. Aphrodite raised her sword, blocking the first dagger thrust at her, and then whirled her body away just in time to miss being sliced in the midsection by another. As she whirled, she gave a sharp kick to the back of Hera's knee, causing her to falter and grunt; but she did not fully lose her balance, and regained composure almost instantaneously, giving Aphrodite no chance to take advantage of the misstep. It was then that Aphrodite realized the full extent of how she had been weakened helping Tristan. Pushing down the fear, she forced herself to focus, just lifting her sword in time to deflect another strike, then another. Noting with a quick glance that she was losing ground, slowly being pushed back towards a wall, Aphrodite quickly dodged another slash, side-stepping to find her footing. She sharply brought the butt of her sword back, ramming it into Hera's rib cage, knocking the wind from her. Turning, she slashed her weapon upward. Hera barely had time to cross her daggers, preventing her intestines from being spilled from her body. Her eyes were wide. With a jerk forward and upward, and a sharp pull back, the small blades were yanked from Hera's hands. Before Aphrodite could use this opening, though, Hera was one the move, running and leaping up on to one of the rock structures, grabbing a bow and a quiver of arrows, clearly attempting to maintain her distance. Aphrodite was running as well, to another rock formation. She knew she stood no chance in the long term, blade against bow.

Glancing between her destination and the place where Hera was aiming her newly nocked arrow, Aphrodite mentally prepared herself. Putting on a burst of speed, she narrowly avoided an arrow in the side. Lifting her blade to block another, she heard the _ping_ as it glanced off her slender blade. She dove for cover behind the rock formation she had chosen, grabbing the loaded ten-bolt modernized crossbow as swiftly as she could. her back to the wall of stone, she craned her head to the side to get an angle on her opponent. She pulled back just as an arrow grazed her cheek, wincing at the sting, but quickly maneuvering her body out of protection and into a good position to fire before Hera could nock another projectile. Her arms already felt heavy and tired as she aimed. Her best effort to sink a bolt into Hera's chest ended with her missing her target. Though she did not strike her heart, the bolt found a gap in her step-mother's armor, driving itself in just above her hip bone. Hera yelped, dropping down behind the rocks for cover. She was wounded, but not mortally. ripping the bolt from her skin, Hera growled and grabbed a shortsword from another nearby stone. She left her covering and started sprinting towards Aphrodite, side-stepping and whirling as the final 9 bolts flew from the crossbow, only one finding skin. It ripped a long gash along the outside of on of Hera's thighs, causing her to slow and limp, gasping; giving Aphrodite enough time to drop the crossbow and retrieve her blade. Her arms screamed pain, begging her not to lift them again. Her body felt drained. Even the amount of adrenaine coursing through her was barely enough now to keep her focused and on her feet. It didn't take more than a handful of thrusts and parries before Hera returned the favor of disarming her opponent.

Aphrodite turned to flee towards her discarded blade, but made it no more than three steps before Hera used a well-angled slash, slicing open her right achilles tendon and her left calf in one move. Aphrodite went down screaming and got a mouth full of fine dirt. She scrambled to turn herself over, coughing, as Hera moved to kneel over her. _This is it,_ she thought. _This is the end of me._


	47. Chapter 46

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine CH.46**

Aphrodite let her gaze take in her surroundings in what she thought were here last moments. Time slowed even further, and in the very short time it took for Hera to lift her shortsword above her head, Aphrodite realized that, at some point, Dom and the others had convinced Athena to allow them to watch her fight, and Dom was leaning as far as he could towards her, pain and desperation in his eyes. Shea, beside him, was wracked with tears, Tristan clinging to her, trying to veil his own grief. In that moment, she remembered something Ky had taught her. _Even if you have to fling mud in your opponent's eyes to save your life, you do it._ Hands out to the sides, she dug her fingernails in, throwing fistfuls of dry dirt into her enemy's face before she had time to plunge the sword downward. Instinctively moving one hand to her eyes to try to rub the dirt out as she howled, she loosened her grip on the blade. Aphrodite mustered her strength and brought the side on her fist against Hera's wrist, knocking the sword nearly twenty feet away. With her other fist, she slammed all over her upper body weight into Hera's gut, stunning her enough that she could twist and wrap her arms around one side, forcing her to the ground.

Hera was gasping for breath as Aphrodite straddled her, looking around for a weapon. Merely a foot from Hera's crown, she spotted a loose stone. It was the size of a fist, but sharp and heavy as Aphrodite raised it. She brought it down hard, smashing her step-mother's nose. Blood burst forth, spilling into Her's mouth, over her face, and into her eyes. Aphrodite raised it again. Hera gagged, raising her arms protectively, and wheezed. "I submit! Mercy!"

Aphrodite let out a ragged sigh, dropping the rock and looking to her father. Zeus nodded and stood, signalling an official end to the battle. Aphrodite dropped to the ground, unable to stand. It would take a few days to fix the damage done to her legs. She had already expended her sister's healing strength too much to ask her for more help.

"Aphrodite is champion. Her boons are granted. Her marriage is annulled, she is free to come and go as she pleases, and Hera's crimes will be brought to justice," Zeus boomed.

"Hera," He continued, "I have seen and heard enough, to consider this your trial by combat, and find you guilty of the crimes which you have been charged with. To turn on a fellow god is treason, and to directly cause the deaths of innocents is a serious crime. Your supporters have turned on you since my daughter returned home, and they have told me all about your plots and schemes. It seems that Aphrodite is not the only immortal you have been conspiring against." There was real fear in Hera's eyes as he passed judgment on her. "I hereby strip you of your godly powers, your titles and possessions, and banish you to live among mortal men for a period no shorter than 15,000 years. Any god who offers you aid from here on out will share your fate. After the years have pased, I will re-assess your position and make a decision as to whether or not this great Olympus will welcome you back. Poseidon, Athena, please assist Aphrodite, get her cleaned and bandaged. Ares, please escort Hera from my kingdom."

Hera glared at Zeus and growled as she was hauled to her feet and practically dragged out of the arena. A litter was brought out to Aphrodite, where she was placed and lifted to be carried out. "Hold," Zeus spoke again. "She may want to hear this. Let it not be said that I am not a grateful or gracious God. Shea, Dominic, and Tristan, step forward."

Glancing sidelong at each other, they did as they were instructed, stepping forward as he continued. "You have served my daughter faithfully and selflessly, in turn serving all of Olympus. I hereby grant you the immortal life of Godhood, and open my doors to you here in my kingdom. You will be given positions and responsibilities, to be decided at a later date. I thank you for your willingness to give your life for your cause." All jaws dropped in wonder. The three recently rewarded bowed deeply in thanks, and Aphrodite inclined her head as much as she could from her litter.

"It seems I am in need of somebody trustworthy to take over the duties of my now estranged wife." Zeus turned his attention to Athena. "Daughter, your wisdom and loyalty have not gone unnoticed. I would give you the role, if you should consent."

Athena nodded and curtsied in thanks. "I am honored to serve you, Father."

His proclamations finished with, Zeus dismissed all those in his presence, and Aphrodite was carried out of the arena. Back in the infirmary bed she had woken up in, she was cleaned and bandaged. Her friends and her love ran into the room, gleefully embracing her.


	48. Epilogue

**Beauty Divine, Pain Be Thine Epilogue**

Five days later, Aphrodite was surrounded by familiar faces. The Goddess, Shea, Tristan, Dom, Ky, Keegan, and all of the other demigod children were together on a stretch of private beach, gathered around two funeral pires. The bodies of Amara and Chloe had been preserved for as long as possible, but it could be held off no longer. The ceremonial coins were laid upon their eyes, and funeral shrouds placed over them.

Ky spoke all the proper recitations for laying Demigods to rest, gazing at all the sad faces, and began his eulogy. "Today is a sad day for all of us. These young women had been with us for nearly six years, and we had all come to know and love them. Amara lost her way, blinded by her faith and loyalty to her matron, Hera. We pray forgiveness and mercy for her immortal soul in the Underworld. As for Chloe, she gave her life in service to protect not only a goddess, but a friend. She will surely be given an eternal place of rest in Elysium. We thank this woman for her unending dedication and undying love. She was a light in the darkness to many, a friendly face to all. Rest well, our fallen soldiers."

A tear fell from Aphrodite's eye as she stepped up onto the funeral pire and placed a kiss on her friend's forhead over the shroud. "I'm sorry, Chloe." She stepped away, taking hold of the torch, and lighting the dry grass that had been placed below the pire as kindling. She handed the torch to Ky, who lit Amara's.

Aphrodite would forever be grateful to the people who had fought for her, and for her young friend who had given her life so that the goddess may live. She gazed appreciatively around her, vowing to never again take advantage of the true love she'd been gifted with. She swore all of this on the life of the little thing growing inside her belly.


End file.
